We are so fragile, our cracking bones make noise, and we are just breakable, breakable, breakable girls and boys.

A contemplative me in BREEZY, beautiful, 75 degrees Colorado!

I know my blog is typically fun and not at all controversial, so if you prefer it that way, please skip this one.  Here are some past posts you may enjoy:

 Crazy Things that Happen to Me            Micah's Adoption              What I Love About Home

I wanted to post this several days ago, but I was busy getting ready to go out of town (then busy actually GOING out of town), but now that I’m where I’m going and enjoying a little break, I thought I’d take a little time to give my opinion on a now dated subject.

I have friends and family on all sides of this argument, as it has indeed become that, but here are my thoughts, for what they’re worth:

I LOVE Chick-fil-a.  I worked there for years when I was in high school.  I appreciate their family values (I’m not going to sing their praises based on the fact that they’re closed on Sundays.  That seems hypocritical since I often go out to eat after church on Sunday.  By that token, I’d have to be express thanks for all of those godless restaurants that make sure I get fed on the day of rest).  I have eaten at Chick-fil-a in the past (probably too much) and I will eat there in the future (I love waffle fries dipped in ranch dressing!), but on Wednesday, August 1^st, the official Chick-Fil-A Appreciation day (as ordained by Mike Huckabee and chicken lovers everywhere), I ate at home.

My decision to forgo the delicious chicken sandwiches had nothing to do with the fact that I was extremely busy on Wednesday, or that it pains me to shell out $7.00 for a value meal, or that I had such a better meal prepared at home – I ate a packet of lunch meat turkey and seven green olives.  My reason was bigger.

My husband and I discussed this at length, and here is what we decided: In our ever humble opinion, we don’t believe the Jesus we love and serve would have had chicken on Wednesday either.  Jesus was way more in the business of serving those who were hurt and broken and hated than telling the “righteous” how right they were.  This blog really got me thinking à Food for Thought

My view

I’m spending my week in beautiful Colorado Springs, and today, in a worship service, our attention was called to the story of the Good Samaritan (found in the gospel of Luke), probably a story you’re at least a little familiar with, regardless of your church background, but just in case, I’ll give a recap.

A man was on his way to Jericho when he was attacked by robbers and his money and clothes were stolen.  He was left to die.  As he lay there suffering, a priest and a levite (both religious men) passed by him and did nothing, even passed by on the other side of the road.  A Samaritan, pretty much considered the scum of the earth by Jewish people, passed by, saw the man who was hurt, bandaged his wounds, cared for him, took him somewhere safe, and paid the bill.  Jesus says that the Samaritan was a neighbor to that man.  He showed love.

The injured man wasn’t asked how he was hurt or why.  He wasn’t told that he could have prevented the whole situation by not ignorantly choosing to walk alone on a dangerous road.  He wasn’t told that he shouldn’t feel as hurt as he did.  He was simply cared for… because he was broken.

It really hit me hard.  One man, an assumed enemy of the other, went to great personal sacrifice to help someone who was hurting, while the righteous walked on by (perhaps on their way to buy some chicken strips?).  I’m not trying to put down anyone who tried to show support to Chick-fil-a or freedom of speech that day.  They absolutely had the right to do that.  I just can’t help but wonder if there was so much more we could have done to show the love of Christ instead – what more could I have done?  I fear that we just did more to solidify the Christians Vs. Gay People fight.  It’s heart-breaking to think this has become our message.

It’s not the message of Jesus as I understand it.  The message that changed my life, the message I’ve dedicated my life to – it is good news.  It’s a message of hope and love.  If you’d ever like to know more about it – I love to share.