Badassery 11/18

Well hello little badass calendar…

Today, I love you.

Probably because in my little corner of the world, a day in which I am able to learn something is the best day ever!

I was the “WHY?” child. The one who poked the dead bird lying on the playground with a stick to see if it would breathe then questioned why it had to die. The child who always had to know the answers. The one who asked incessant questions. The girl who read the dictionary, the encyclopedia Britannica, and the entire religion section in the library.

That girl who still reads the last chapter of a book to see if the whole thing is worth my time. I want to know how the story is going to end before it begins.

I have been a curious one since I can remember. I really pity my poor mother. She had to deal with me, the curious child when she had difficulty talking openly about a lot of topics.

My poor mom. We were opposites. Complete opposites. She was happy to go with the flow. Not me… never, ever.

The image of her face while sitting on the porcelain throne after I carried the pamphlet from the doctor’s office on menstruation, sex, and all things adultish into the bathroom, plopped it on the sink, and exclaimed, “Mom, I have a few questions!” will be forever burned in my memory.

I still want to know how the story ends before it begins. I read to learn new things or re-learn old things. To absorb. To remember.

The more I read, the calmer I become.

Peace washes over my soul.

But WHY?

Because I know how my story ends!

I don’t have to read between the lines or examine each chapter and verse.

My story was predestined and predetermined before I arrived on this planet kicking and screaming to defy the odds and survive being born three months early.

The first Bible verse that I ever memorized says it all:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

John 3:16

I distinctly remember the first time I raised my hand as a child at my grandparent’s church in response to the invitation to accept Jesus Christ as my Saviour. I remember the feeling of relief, love, the calm, the bracelet I was wearing on my wrist.

I remember the Billy Graham crusade in my hometown as a teenager when I cemented the deal. It was a distinct spiritual experience.

The verse is really quite simple if one breaks it down:

“For G-d so loved the world”

“We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.¹“

The Omnipotent, Omnipresent G-d of the universe who created every living organism (those who create know how much love and care is taken in one’s creations) knew that the human race was imperfect since biting into the apple in the garden of Eden. Throughout history this fact cannot be disputed.

Therefore,

“He gave his only begotten Son”

“We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.¹“

Can you imagine sending your child to this cesspool called earth fully knowing that he was going to die a horribly gruesome death?

“For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.¹“

“That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

And here is the end of my story, your story (if you choose), and mankind’s story:

“He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.¹“

The original badass, G-d. Sent his Son Jesus Christ as a sacrifice to save the world. All we have to do is trust, believe, and be grateful.

XO Lisa ❤️ living a gratitude filled life!

1. Nicene Creed. Episcopal Church Book of Common Prayer (1979), The Book of Common Prayer (PDF). New York: Church Publishing Incorporated. 2007. pp. 326–327. Retrieved 2020-11-19