They Taught Me About Jesus

I haven't written in a while. Truthfully, I've been woefully uninspired. Each time I start to write on this site, and back out because of a lack of inspiration, the blogger saves that post as a draft. Sometimes my drafts are a few words-- sometimes a few good paragraphs-- but each time they don't amount to enough to please me, much less my rag tag audience.

I've always been an over-achiever. I've always wanted to please. I guess being #3 girl before the #1 boy in the family line-up makes you want to always shine. I did shine, very much so (in my opinion) in my youth. I was in plays, honor choirs, had straight a's, was gifted, had a very high ACT score, was a class officer and on the student council. I shined so stinking bright.... but none of that mattered. Yes my parents appreciated it. They were proud. They loved me. They hoped to see great things for me. They will tell you that they have seen great things from me. They just didn't see them in the way they believed that they would when they looked at their #3 bundle of  joy.

They never expected me to become pregnant out of wedlock, to marry at 17, to deliver their first grandchild at 18, their second at 20, and divorce at 21. They never expected me to find love in a different state and remarry at 24, move to Alabama, and have their third grandchild at 26. They never looked at their sweet little third daughter and expected any of that.  They didn't sit through my performances and expect anything out of me. 

They taught me. They taught me to be good. They taught me to be smart. They taught me to think for myself. They taught me to fight for what I loved. They taught me to realize when it was time to walk away. They taught me that I needed to be able to provide for myself. They taught me that education was important. They are the reason that I had a career to fall back on after my first marriage fell apart. They taught me to think for myself. They taught me about Jesus. They took me to church and they taught me how to worship. Of all the things that my parents taught me, and they were great teachers, this was the most important.

Without Jesus I wouldn't have made it past 17. If I hadn't had Jesus then, I would probably have aborted my baby or given him up for adoption. I would have broken up with his father. I would NEVER have forgiven myself. In my attempts for self preservation I would have taken a life. I would have put myself above all else. I would have disappointed myself. I would have turned to drugs and alcohol and I would have hit rock bottom. But, thankfully,  my parents taught me about Jesus. 

Without Jesus, and if I had married and had those babies, I would have tried to save my first marriage.... but i wouldn't have tried as hard. I wouldn't have been as hard pressed to make it work had I not had anyone holding me to the vows we took that day. I would have looked forward to the day that I could have dissolved our union. I would have looked forward to a life of multiple partners and a life of freedom from society's boundaries. I would have never hit rock bottom after my many attempts to avoid divorce, and have asked Jesus to lead me to a man that would follow Him with me. I would have never have found Jason.  Thankfully, my parents taught me about Jesus.

My parents took me to church. My parents made me sit up straight and pay attention. My parents made me wear scratchy dresses and uncomfortable shoes. My parents fought with me and three other children and still got us there on time on Sunday mornings. My parents made me go to Sunday school and Bible School and made me memorize my assigned verses. My parents led me to Jesus. 

So many things come up on Sundays. Seems to me like more and more things happen on the weekend nowadays than when i was a kid. Maybe it's the same amount; maybe I just didn't notice. Or, Maybe I would have had plenty of other things to do-- had my Mama and Daddy not seen fit to have me in church. I thank God every day that they saw fit. I thank God for Christian parents.

Train up a child in the way he should go, 

And when he is old he will not depart from it.

 - Proverbs 22:6 -