Once Upon an E-mail

Yesterday I got this great forwarded e-mail. I usually don't like these things, but this one was fun and different. I'm all about fun and different. Instead of a "Get to Know You" e-mail, this was questions that you had to send out to your friends, and they would respond with what they thought. I didn't have to answer the questions about myself, others did that.

So today when I went to check my e-mail, I had about 10 responses from people who have known me my whole life, to friends I've had for years, to friends I taught with, to ladies who were in the same Bible Studies I was in, etc. Ladies that I find very near and dear to my heart, but our relationships are all VERY different. It was very interesting to see what people thought about me. For example, my middle name is Renee, Joy, Jane, Shalooda, and Lynn. Most people knew that I had blue eyes, and that at first I am very shy - I said most. And everyone had a smary comment about the "Do I smoke?" question. It was rather commical.

But one of these questions has really been bothering me all day. The kind of bother where I just can't stop thinking about it. I know that's crazy because it's "just an e-mail" and it's supposed to be "fun", but this question has my wheels turning. The question said, "What am I most adamant about?" Seems like a simple question - but when I tried to answer it for myself - WOW, I really had to stop and reflect and think.

The answers that I got from my nearest and dearest were very humbling to say the least. Almost unaimously the 2 things I was most adamant about were God and family. Talk about 2 HUGE things! Since reading those e-mails, I've been praying and asking God, "Is that really true?" What a huge weight I have felt on my shoulders - can I really live up to that everyday? In everything I do am I adamant about God? Oh, how I pray that what people see in me is my love for Christ and my love for family/friends, but what if it's not always there? What if people see me when I loose my cool, or say something ugly, or act not so ladylike? Will they still think I'm adamant about God? Can one mess up in time ruin my commitment and love for God?

Then this got me thinking - these people have known me a long time. I KNOW they've all seen me at a BAD day, week, month, and yet they still responded the same way - still responded that I am adamant about God. God showed me today that one bad day, week, month, six months, won't cover up what you truly believe in. In His love, Christ died so that we could have a way to God. That way is NOT hindered or broken when we do something dumb. No! His grace covers all our imperfections. Even when I'm not perfect, Christ is. And since Christ is living in me, I am made perfect in Him!

Can I live up to being adamant about God? Only through the grace and love of Christ - and that's what I'm relying on everyday! What are you adamant about?