Sunday, August 29, 2010

Just for the Record...

When you ask my opinion, be ready for my opinion.

Or, as my friend quite eloquently put it the other day: If you don't want the truth, don't ask me. If you want something sugarcoated, go eat a donut.

'Cause here is what you are going to get:
1) an opinion shaped by tons of down-in-the-dirt, real-life, been-there-done-that-regretted-it-wish-I-could-take-it-back experience.

2) an opinion shaped by my glorious Lord's WORD*. My opinion may not be in vogue, may run contrary to "popular" opinion, may call into question your own actions or the actions of those you love, but I'll gladly sit down with you and my Bible and we can talk through WHY I believe what GOD tells me is the TRUTH.

3) an opinion that is MINE. Like it or lump it.

But, if you are asking my opinion to use it to hurt someone else with my words, I am going to end our conversation immediately. I don't roll that way and I don't respect people who do.

Sometimes, in this world, we have to wake up, put on our big girl panties, and figure out what WE BELIEVE. All by ourselves.

Yet, if you still think I'm worthy** of asking an opinion of, fine. I'll gladly help you sort through life. But remember: I'm the queen of opinions, maker of NONE of the rules, and one of the biggest sinners you'll ever meet.

And, yet, I am forgiven. Multiple times a day. Sometimes multiple times an hour. Because I ASK. It's that simple.

And, as most of us who've made mistakes, lived to talk about them, and lived to ask forgiveness know, there is nothing (NOTHING) worse than someone who tries to judge our experience without the same experience under their belt.

Yet, there is room in this world for knowing the truth, being grateful we didn't have to go through the horrible experiences others did, RESERVING judgement and extending GRACE***.

So, when you ask my opinion, I will back it up, based on my experience and the Bible, to the best of my ability, IF you won't blatantly try to throw me under the bus for your own purposes and in an attempt to put a wedge between me and someone else or try to paint me into a corner because you think you can.

Because you know what? Baby don't like to be put in the corner****.

And she won't go there.

Sorry.



*If you want a scapegoat when you get mad because my opinion rocks your boat, you get to talk to the Big Guy upstairs.

**Whatever. I'm not.

***And, FYI: just because people express "unpopular" faith-based opinions doesn't mean they are judgemental. It means they have an opinion based on history, that has proven itself.

****A blatant attempt to add levity to this post by referencing "Dirty Dancing". Are those crickets I hear in the background?

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