Don’t be scared

Lately I’ve been thinking about my childhood, more specifically, the way I was brought up.  I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia.  I still love that place and when I cross the Georgia state line I get a special feeling.  It’s the land of delicious peaches and friendly people.  Where vegetable dinners are wonderful and sweet tea is really tea syrup.  Grits are a breakfast staple and they are so good.  People really still ask “how’s your mama ‘nem?” when then want to know how your family is.  One thing I really love about Georgia people is real live Georgia people love Jesus.

First let me preface what I’m getting ready to say by sharing with you I had a wonderful upbringing.  My parents were outstanding.  They loved us.  We went to church three times a week – Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night.  We did not miss.  They taught us all to love Jesus by modeling it before us every day.  They tried their best to do what the Bible instructed.    With all that being said, it was a different time. We were taught to fear the Lord, because the Bible said so.  The Bible said for you to be perfect because God was perfect.  As a result of these teachings I thought I knew the meaning of these two things:

Fear the Lord meant be scared of Jesus

and

Be perfect – as in you better not mess up

We haven’t always had the internet and back then we sure didn’t know greek or hebrew. We didn’t understand that the scriptures were speaking of reverential fear, and this business of being perfect meant being mature.  So the fall out of all this learning was God was going to get you and it was going to be bad.  It makes me wish I could go back and tell ten year old Teresa some things.

If I could go back in time, this is what I would tell ten year old me.

First, there’s no way you can be perfect but there’s no excuse for not offering your best.  Jesus just wants you to try your hardest.

Secondly I would tell her to love Jesus because when you love Him you will do your best to not hurt His feelings.

Lastly I would tell her never be afraid of Jesus and what he has for you.  It’s far better than anything that could come out of my own imagination.

All this makes me wonder if I had understood at an early age the things I understand now what kind of difference it would have made in my life. Would I have been more or done more if I would have just been fearless.  If I had trusted God’s plan without any reservation.  If I had refused to hold anything back.    What would that life have looked like?  One thing I know is if you live long enough you’ll have regrets.  You’ll look back and wish you would have done some things differently, and that’s ok. It means you’ve learned.  You’ve learned what to do and what not to do.  You’ve learned that if it takes a lifetime Jesus will take that long to work with you so you can get it right.  I’m so thankful for His patience.  I’m so thankful He’s still teaching me and I’m still learning.