Thoughts of a 20-Something Woman

I've come to learn so much about my walk with Christ over the past year. How real, how genuine, how messy it can be. How I desire to walk through life in complete honesty and transparency with those around me. And how many people can't handle it. Most people won't be able to handle it. Because as Christians, we all talk a big talk regarding honesty and authenticity---until we realize how messy it is...and then we just prefer easy and we prefer perfection. We preach two different things . "Come to the church and be yourself completely!" But in the same breath, we say, "But don't be too honest! Or you won't fit in with us." We preach two different things . "Come to the church and expose your sin and mess. We won't judge!" But in the same breath, we say, "But if you could actually just put a nice bow on top of the sin to make it better, that'd be appreciated." We preach two different things . "Come to the

The past year of my life---I've been walking down a road that I never thought that I was going to be walking down. The long road to forgiveness . Over the past year, I've been betrayed, used, and cast out from those that used to be so close to my heart. Things have been said to me that can never be unsaid. Things have been done to me that can never be undone. People have accused me of things that they had no right to be the judge of. And all of these situations have left me with broken pieces to clean up on my own. Satan's lies were thrust at me from every angle. "Why aren't you a better Christian?" "Why can't you fix yourself faster?" "If you could just fix yourself, people wouldn't leave you." "You'll never be good enough." "You'll never be worthy of true love."  And then in Satan's crescendo he says to me, "Look at all the proof that I have against you!" ...People leave you