So I recently spoke about returning to church. Before I expound upon that event and events after this I want to speak a bit about what is on my heart.

While in the hospital (baker acted) I met a girl, she was in there for a suicide attempt. Her arms were sliced both at the wrist and above where doctors normally take blood. Her cuts required stitches.

There is a sense of loneliness felt in situations such as mine, such as hers. You feel there is no one, its why people attempt suicide. Suicide is away to stop feeling alone, alone around others, alone in the crowd, alone even though you are around ones you love, even when they don’t return the respect are love you give freely.

I’ve written a bit about suicide. I’ve attempted it a few time in my life. I still feel it takes balls to try to truly take your life at your chosen time. Why? lots of reasons. As much faith I have in God, there will always be doubt about the after life, hell, heaven, reincarnation, so forth so on…..even the thoughts of “this is it” this life begins and ends period. This is where faith steps in.

So when the girl saw me crying she came to me, arms wrapped and stitched where she sliced them with a razor blade. She hugged me and held my hand when No One else did. I don’t have much to offer anyone at this point of my life, I am living in a soon to be foreclosed home, and I just found out Friday that my future ex cancelled my auto policy. I was listed as a driver. Nothing new, he uses these same attempts to crush me, to hurt me each time events similar such as these have unfolded the last 4 years, injunctions put in place like I am the one trying to hurt him, yet he takes and takes from me, all the times when he was down and at his lowest I lifted him up.. Hell I woke on the 10th of this month to no electricity. Not because the bill was not paid, oh no. I paid the bill, however it was in his name and he shut it down. Again nothing new.

I began to ask the girl why she attempted suicide, she shared her story with me. She would be homeless upon release from the hospital. She was in an abusive relationship, and it dissolved leaving her without a home for her and her dog and two bearded dragons name Slyvia  and Drako.

I then told her that she was welcomed to come to my soon to be foreclosed home. I was released before her. The next day my door bell rang. It was the girl. She had 140$ from her last paycheck, no job because of the events, no clothes except the ones on her back, and just a purse.

At first I felt apprehension. I didn’t really know her. I had large issues of my own to deal with. But I extended the offer she had nowhere to go, so I allowed her to stay.The following day I took her to the house where she used to live to get her things(There was only a few boxes) and her dog Bandit and her two bearded dragons. We loaded her belongings and her pets and returned to my home(soon to be sold due to foreclosure).

I thought to myself how in the hell will I feed us, I had limited funds and issues of my own to deal with. I still have the same issues to deal with. Go figure.

Four weeks later she was still here no job. I took her to the library daily to do applications online( pretty much every thing is done online today)I called the church many in fact. I found NO Church that would help her, no shelters. I couldn’t keep feeding her and allowing the extra electricity to be used.

I called the church I had been attending and the Pastor said and I quote “we can give her 100$ this would get her out of my home”. Wow. So I am going to drop her and her pets at a shabby hotel with no money except the 100$ the pastor gave to pay for the 2 nights to “get her out my home” wow right, just Great. I am dealing with my crap and her crap too. Awesome. Lets double worry Yay.

I awoke the next day called my sponsor from NA and she said “Nicole some things reach beyond you, you’ve done all you can, You must take care of you.” Made sense, I didn’t like the thought of what I needed to do. I had to tell her I could no longer help her I must focus on my situation and did not need the added stress.

So I informed her that I could no longer help her…She had no job and had a few interviews but no call backs. I prayed that day both with her and by myself for the strength and hopelessness of the situation. As I cried both for myself and her and her pets. I decided to call my sponsor for counsel once again. As I was crying and telling her how I felt the phone rang. I didn’t answer it, for I was on the phone with my sponsor.

The calls were two jobs, thats right two jobs offers for her. I had prayed with her that day, and that day something great happened, God came through at the last minute. She is at work now as I write this. The job is walking distance. I explained to her that she can stay here until she gets two paychecks to supplement that large offering( said with sarcasm} from the church, you know the one, that 100$.

So now the point of this story. I left churches like that back 18 years ago because I saw more and more materialistic endeavors, more worldly desires and a sense of hypocrisy.  The bible states clearly to be not of the world nor the things of the world…But More and more churches are now like businesses.Gone are the days of what Jesus had in mind when he said “do unto others as you want done to you, if your brother or sister need food feed them, if the need cloths, give them the shirt from your back. Be charitable be christ like. I don’t think Jesus had in mind that the big fancy church that I attended, where many wealthy people praised and worshiped “God” was his vision.  I originally thought when they knocked at my door “hey good christian people” however they were in a subdivision where my beautiful 250,000$ dollar home was, any many other bigger homes as well. The red flag didn’t occur until I began to think…..they were in a neighborhood where upper middle class live, where they can preach the spirit of tithing that 10% of your salary. No they were not in the projects knocking on doors, or poor neighborhoods. I suppose it finally hit me .They look for their kind, the kind that have money and can add riches to their pockets. Charlatans I believe is a suited term.

So I am back at square one. I still have faith in my God, notice I say my God…I don’t serve the God hypocrites serve. I am trying my best to help even in my hour of need.

What I am saying is that what Jesus had in mind was charity, love, sacrifice. Not building large churches that the rich can praise and worship a God that is not of Christ.

I texted the pastor today, I told him that the check they wrote for her to stay at the roach motel would not be cashed, that she actually got a job so I don’t have to “just get her out of my house”. I told him I have been faced with homeless situations of my own, and I could never do that to another human being although it seems many others can.

He Never texted back. I mean why would he, people such as myself and her represent the truth and sad situations that make Christians such as those uncomfortable. We tarnish their “all is prosperous and everything is perfect world”.

The Church is you, the Church is me. Want to be a missionary? Then look around right here in the USA! There is a need right here, you don’t have to travel to far to reach those in true need. Those souls out there that are ignored because their troubles make you uncomfortable, they are the truth that we would rather ignore.

Gone are the days of the true church, the charitable church. The funny thing is that St Timothy’s Catholic Church offered more help both to me an my friend and we have never attended their church.

Tomorrow, well actually today is Sunday, I will be in church right here in my home, and I will be tithing alright, my tithing will be the offering of my self to others in need.

I don’t know which God you serve, but I can tell you this I don’t serve a commercialized God, oh no, indeed I try and walk in a Christ like spirit, regardless of the trails I face both now and later. I hope for anyone reading this to come out of your comfort zone and remember that the message of Jesus was that of Love, acceptance, charity, helping those less fortunate.

Truly Gone are the days of a true Church, always remember you are the church, the temple of the holy spirit, the example. The greatest testimony is your life and how you live, how you give, how you love. That is what Jesus had in mind.

Be an example, be different, don’t worry about what others think of you, worry only about what counts. What counts in the end it is between you and God, so make your life and testimony count. Go be a missionary right in your town, city, your country.

That is faith, that is love, that is Church, now go live it. Pray, talk with God as you would talk with another human being. Yell if you must, lay your burdens down, always pray. Prayer changes things that need to be changed, and try to keep your feet upon the path God wants you to travel. Lord knows I’ve strayed enough.

Peace. God bless. NJM~