take me away.

an open letter to winter.



To my dearest Winter,

I have something to confess. It may upset you and I’m sorry but I need you to know.

Winter, you have been good to me – long nights reading in bed to the sound of rain on the tin roof, pumpkin soup, cuddles from Booster, conferences and new friends, challenges and learning.

But its time, Spring is calling my name and I see Summer waiting for me offering – adventures in the afternoons, the smell of sunscreen, the sting of hindsight that comes with sun burn, opportunities and new beginnings.

So winter although I have enjoyed our brief love affair I’m leaving you. Don’t take it personally, no doubt when I’m the colour of a basket ball and pealing like nobodies business I will beg you to take me back. I will miss the comfortable snug moments tucked up in my warm bed, and the silliness/ joy of getting caught in the rain. I’ll beg and you will take me back.

But until then remember I will always love you.

Lauren  

I would be bored in a world with out you.

I love you.

Take me the way I am.



If you were to walk into church on Sunday morning and find a prostitute in the front, a heroin addict shooting up, or someone having sex, if you were to hear someone swearing at the top of their lungs or sit next to someone who was high; if you were it catch someone sinning in the middle of the service doing everything they shouldn't, what would you do?

Would you expect the church leaders to get up and deal with the mess, the way these people were obviously disrespecting God. Would you expect the Pastor to come down from the stage and inform the people disrupting the service to leave? Or quieten down?
Or would you pray? Would you thank God for his people? Would you praise Him form filling the House? Would you believe for a supernatural change, and have faith in your God to do miracles? Would you reach out in love and care for the hurting searching people?
Shocking I know, but people don’t come looking for you in a church so they can ask for your judgment, they come looking for God! Is that what they find? A God who loves furiously, who extends his arms and offers forgiveness freely.  A God who will judge me and what I did with His son. If a broken hurting person walks in the doors of your church will you point them to your God? Or will you point them out the door because they don’t fit here. “I’m sorry Sir you can’t come in you’re a sinner” “Excuse me Madam, could you please go? Your sin is not as well hidden as the rest of ours
I know that none of you would ever say that. How rude. But for those horrid judgmental Christians the ones who are ruining it for the rest of us, stop… I know you have never judged someone, I certainly haven’t… I mean...

Who are we kidding??! I’m a sinner, surprise. In the air conditioned comfort of the second row I look just like the rest of you:
Dressed appropriately.
Smiling nicely.
Worshiping honestly.
Struggling privately.
Is it because my sin is tucked away that I’m ok? Is it because on Sunday you would never know the things that I struggle with? Is it because I look like I belong in the church world…
What would happen if on Sunday we brought our struggles with us, would you still love me if I was wasted? Would you have care for the teenage boys who struggle with porn? Or the person addicted to drugs? How about having compassion for the man who violently beats his wife before he gets to church? What no one like that in your church? We are all sinners, just better at hiding our dirty laundry than others.

You are a part of the kingdom of God, now stop being so selfish and share it with anyone who comes across your path. Don't turn people away with your selfishness. Will you throw the first stone?

For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.

At 19 my single biggest frustration with church is this : When did we decide we were better at recognising God’s people than God. Love genuinely, plant seeds and let God do his work!

To harsh? Maybe it’s time we started being honest with each other.