Momastery » Page 167

Dear Mean Bumper Sticker Man,

My family and I stopped at a red light this weekend behind your car with the Jesus fish and the bumper sticker that said in red flaming letters….

“TURN OR BURN.”

My six year old son read it aloud and asked me what it meant. I thought about ramming my car into your bumper, just to distract everybody and serve my community, but I reconsidered because clearly you were a little angry already. So I took a deep breath and said, “Well, honey….maybe “TURN OR BURN” is the new “Stop, drop, and roll!Maybe that man is a volunteer firefighter!”My son answered with silent suspicion. I began mentally composing this post.

I am not going to discuss religion on this blog. Ever, ever, ever. Mostly because I wouldn’t have a clue what to say. Religion is VERY confusing to me.But faith isn’t. Here’s my faith:

I think God adores me. I think that He is just TICKLED PINK by me, like a parent at a preschool Christmas Pageant. And when I get really crazy and paranoid and cranky…when I doubt His very existence…I think he loves me even more. I think He’s amused…like I am when my 15 month old covers her eyes and believes this has made me disappear.

The image of God as proud, encouraging daddy works for me. It allows me to walk around, on my good days, feeling adored, understood, and calm. It means that I live inside a snow globe with my family, friends and borderline personality and even though things get shaken up and we find ourselves in the middle of a blizzard, somewhere deep down I know that the blizzard’s fake. It’ll settle. I know we’re still being watched over, and enjoyed, and in good hands. And like most kids who know that they are loved unconditionally…I end up behaving better than I did when I believed in the angry, flame throwing God. I treat people more kindly than I used to, because I’m happy, and grateful, and less afraid.

And you know what? I don’t think God’s ever been mad at me. I don’t think I’ve ever shocked Him. I think He’s loved me exactly the same before, during, and every horrible thing I’ve ever done, and still do…daily. I believe he forgives me for every mistake before I make it. I don’t think He ever turns his back, drops my hand, plots my punishment, and moves onto the next guy…I think when I’m in trouble he holds my hand even tighter, preparing my heart for the confusion and sadness that are always the fallout of big mistakes. Just like I do for my children.

So, anyway.

I just wanted to suggest that perhaps you could hold on to your “Turn or Burn” sign until and unless you move very close to an active volcano, and you are trying to warn the tourists. In that case, it would be helpful. Thank you very much.

Love, Glennon

P.S. “The only power that can effect transformation is love. Twentieth century scientists discovered that locked within the atom is the energy of the sun itself. For this energy to be released, however, the atom must be bombarded from without. So, too, locked in every human being is a store of love that partakes of the divine-the imago dei, image of God, it is sometimes called.And it, too, can be activated only through bombardment, in its case love’s bombardment.” *Huston Smith, The Worlds Religions

Or, you know, we could keep trying nasty bumper stickers. People dig those, too.

I think that we women tend to analyze our wellness and success by comparing ourselves to other women. Is that safe to say?

The problem with that measuring stick is that it’s broken. As my favorite author, Anne Lamott says, we end up comparing our insides to other women’s outsides.Apples to oranges. Doesn’t translate. So we feel deficient..

But what happens when we compare our insides to other women’s insides?

I’ll tell you what happens. I know because that’s the question I’ve had answered on this blog.

What happens is, you find out that just like you, your blog friends are A BUNCH OF WHACK JOBS. SERIOUSLY, I DON’T KNOW HOW YOU PEOPLE GET OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING. YOU’RE ALL NUTS! And I’m so relieved.

I launched this blog two weeks ago. In many ways it has been the most remarkable two weeks of my life. Because after reading my story, (See My Testimony) you have told your stories, often for the first time. I’ve heard from women who’ve survived rape, eating disorders, addiction, abuse, post partum depression, failing marriages and the death of a child. My heart has been broken and rebuilt, stronger, again and again. I have sat at my computer and wept, because life is just so damn painful and excruciatingly beautiful. And because truth is a boomerang. And because you are all such stunning writers. I guess when you’re telling your own story there’s no one else on Earth who could tell it better.

Every time I read a letter from you I heal a little. I read somewhere that the two most powerful words one person can say to another is “Me Too.”And as I read your “me too” letters, I know they’re not meant just for the strengthening of my heart.

Soon, we are going to have “Me Too” Days on my blog. On our blog. If you want to share part of your story …send it to me and I’ll post it, anonymously or not. I’ll even help you write it, if you’d like. I’d LOVE to help you write it. Although from what I’ve read so far, I doubt you’ll need my help.

When we share our fears and struggles, they’re not so big and scary anymore. Because we learn we all have different versions of the same story. Kind of like Three’s Company.

As Blake said, We are Put on This Earth to Learn to Endure Love. I want this blog to make you feel loved. And understood. And OKAY. Because you are.

Me too.

Bumper Cars

Happy Sunday

Me Too

2009 Glennon Doyle Melton. All Rights Reserved.
Republication or redistribution of content, text or image, in part or in whole is strictly prohibited without prior written consent from the author.

Bumper Cars

Happy Sunday

Me Too

2009 var d=new Date(); yr=d.getFullYear(); if (yr!=2010) document.write("- "+yr); Glennon Doyle Melton. All Rights Reserved. Republication or redistribution of content, text or image, in part or in whole is strictly prohibited without prior written consent from the author.

2009 Glennon Doyle Melton. All Rights Reserved.
Republication or redistribution of content, text or image, in part or in whole is strictly prohibited without prior written consent from the author.