Saturday, September 10, 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Oh, Pam......
I feel the need to share this with you. The following is a completely true story. NO exaggerations! If anything, I am underplaying this. It went down a little something like this......
A friend of mine, we'll call her "Pam", went into a local establishment to take care of some business. She walks into this establishment and sees an old "friend" who she used to go to church with and this woman also taught her years ago in a Bible study. They haven't seen each other in quite a while. They have both moved onto different churches, and "Pam" felt like she didn't really have the "qualities" the other woman was looking for when they did attend church together. "Pam" didn't have one of the biggest houses in the church, she didn't have a lot of "bling", she didn't brag about all they had and how much money they made, you get the point.
So, "Pam" walks in and is immediately met by this other woman who is now working at this establishment. "Pam" is actually shocked at how "friendly" and "loving" and "nice" this woman now was. "Pam" is thinking 'WOW, she really has changed. What a nice person she has become.' This woman was "Pam's" new BFF. This woman is going on and on about how they have since left the church they once attended together. She proceeded to bash the pastor of their old church, the people in the church,and talk about how bad the church was. She began to talk about people that "Pam" and her were mutual friends with. She was talking about how warm and fussy she is and how much she just loves all people and people's children, and how other people were cold and heartless and stupid and she just didn't get it. So, here "Pam" is thinking, 'gosh, we were obviously closer than I thought we were, she wouldn't sit here and tell just anyone this stuff'.
So, out comes the paperwork that needs to be completed by this woman for "Pam" to have her transaction complete. (Now, I just want to go ahead, and tell you who are reading this....sit down.....and hold onto something, get something to keep your mouth shut as it will drop open) The woman gets her pen, has the paperwork in front of her, nice and neat, and then, the other woman says, "Now, what was your last name again?" "Pam" tells her and thinks, 'well, anyone could forget a last name....it's ok.' Then it happens....the next question is totally true....the other woman says..."and what was your first name again?" Oh yes....totally true story......The other woman then says, 'hhhmmm, I was thinking your name was Pam for some reason.'
Now, this story was funny, at first. As "Pam" told me this story, we laughed at all of the things that this woman was saying, some things very personal about other people. And then to say, "what was your first name again?" Really?????
It hit me....sure, we could sit and laugh at this because "Pam" is a well adjusted individual who knows Christ as her Savior, who has a family and a church family that she loves. However, what if "Pam" was one of the many women who have been hurt so deeply by one of the "other women" of the church. What if "Pam" was someone who so desperately needed a friend at that moment, and thought for a brief moment that this was going to be her day...the day that friend had been put on her doorstep....only to be asked..."what's your name again?"
Girls we need to be so careful of what we say, who we say it to, and when we say it. This story is the exact reason people aren't involved in church. This story is the exact reason people say "church" people are hypocrites. I feel pretty confident that most of us out there have had a "bad church experience." But, you know what....we don't need to tell everyone about it. If we had a bad experience, it is OUR GOD who brought us to that season in our life. To teach us lessons that will so much better prepare us for our next season. Let's do this...let's keep our mouths shut. Let's be thankful we aren't in that same season of "bad experience" and let's be thankful to OUR GOD for yet another chance to learn to see and appreciate all of the good things that are in our current season!
A friend of mine, we'll call her "Pam", went into a local establishment to take care of some business. She walks into this establishment and sees an old "friend" who she used to go to church with and this woman also taught her years ago in a Bible study. They haven't seen each other in quite a while. They have both moved onto different churches, and "Pam" felt like she didn't really have the "qualities" the other woman was looking for when they did attend church together. "Pam" didn't have one of the biggest houses in the church, she didn't have a lot of "bling", she didn't brag about all they had and how much money they made, you get the point.
So, "Pam" walks in and is immediately met by this other woman who is now working at this establishment. "Pam" is actually shocked at how "friendly" and "loving" and "nice" this woman now was. "Pam" is thinking 'WOW, she really has changed. What a nice person she has become.' This woman was "Pam's" new BFF. This woman is going on and on about how they have since left the church they once attended together. She proceeded to bash the pastor of their old church, the people in the church,and talk about how bad the church was. She began to talk about people that "Pam" and her were mutual friends with. She was talking about how warm and fussy she is and how much she just loves all people and people's children, and how other people were cold and heartless and stupid and she just didn't get it. So, here "Pam" is thinking, 'gosh, we were obviously closer than I thought we were, she wouldn't sit here and tell just anyone this stuff'.
So, out comes the paperwork that needs to be completed by this woman for "Pam" to have her transaction complete. (Now, I just want to go ahead, and tell you who are reading this....sit down.....and hold onto something, get something to keep your mouth shut as it will drop open) The woman gets her pen, has the paperwork in front of her, nice and neat, and then, the other woman says, "Now, what was your last name again?" "Pam" tells her and thinks, 'well, anyone could forget a last name....it's ok.' Then it happens....the next question is totally true....the other woman says..."and what was your first name again?" Oh yes....totally true story......The other woman then says, 'hhhmmm, I was thinking your name was Pam for some reason.'
Now, this story was funny, at first. As "Pam" told me this story, we laughed at all of the things that this woman was saying, some things very personal about other people. And then to say, "what was your first name again?" Really?????
It hit me....sure, we could sit and laugh at this because "Pam" is a well adjusted individual who knows Christ as her Savior, who has a family and a church family that she loves. However, what if "Pam" was one of the many women who have been hurt so deeply by one of the "other women" of the church. What if "Pam" was someone who so desperately needed a friend at that moment, and thought for a brief moment that this was going to be her day...the day that friend had been put on her doorstep....only to be asked..."what's your name again?"
Girls we need to be so careful of what we say, who we say it to, and when we say it. This story is the exact reason people aren't involved in church. This story is the exact reason people say "church" people are hypocrites. I feel pretty confident that most of us out there have had a "bad church experience." But, you know what....we don't need to tell everyone about it. If we had a bad experience, it is OUR GOD who brought us to that season in our life. To teach us lessons that will so much better prepare us for our next season. Let's do this...let's keep our mouths shut. Let's be thankful we aren't in that same season of "bad experience" and let's be thankful to OUR GOD for yet another chance to learn to see and appreciate all of the good things that are in our current season!
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