Comfortable in a Leper Colony?

Not much on tv on Saturday afternoons.  I'm doing laundry and little piddly stuff around the house and was wanting something interesting to watch while folding laundry.  I found "interesting" all right...

National Geographic TV.  It's almost always entertaining, not always appropriate, very seldom true to the biblical worldview that I hold and that that I'm teaching my children. So we watch "with caution".  Today, I caught a show about Leprosy.  Sam immediately said "I thought that stuff was pretty much obsolete."  No, says the man on the tv.  It's in quite a few places and, despite the advanced antibiotics that can cure it, it's still spreading.  Did you know even a few hundred cases have been reported in the good ol' USA???  Shocking.  We truly got an education on leprosy... and it was VERY interesting!  Sad and kind of icky... but interesting.

The particular story that intrigued me was about a young woman who lived in a leper colony with her parents.  Both of her parents had leprosy and they were shunned by their society.  They moved to a leper colony over 30 years ago and haven't left since.  They raised their perfectly normal and perfectly healthy daughter in this same leper colony.  She is in her early 20's and has friends on the outside, but she doesn't tell them about her family.  She's afraid that she, too, will be shunned.  In short, she's comfortable with the lepers.  They have already accepted her.  Why would she choose to go anywhere else?

I know a little girl.  She's actually not so little anymore.  She's in her early twenties.  She's expecting her first baby.  She's not married and as time goes on, it's revealed that the relationship she's in is not healthy.  Okay, not healthy is an understatement.  It's a horrid situation that has very little hope of bringing anything but pain in the future and she should RUN from it for the sake of her own life as well as the baby's life.  But... she's not.  She is choosing to stay in that lifestyle of filth and sadness and heartache.  We're having a hard time understanding why.  She's the type of girl that lights up the room with her smile.  She's sweet, kind-hearted and loving.  She loves to surprise people with little notes or homemade gifts.  She enjoys the little things in life.  I love her so much.

After watching this show, I realized that this little girl / young woman with child that I know and love is stuck in her own leper colony.  For some reason she believes she belongs there with them.  She has the opportunity to leave.  She has several escapes that are safe and good and easily available.  This is her choice to stay where she is.  She's not "stuck" in a physical sense, but in a mental sense.

I heard once (from my very wise pastor) that every problem is really a TRUTH problem.  The more I experience for myself and through others, the more I agree with that statement.  For instance, if you believe the "truth" that you can only be happy when you have a lot of money, then you will do almost anything to get more of it.  If you believe the "truth" that you may have heard from someone in your childhood... "You'll never amount to anything... you're no good... you're worthless...", you will live according to that "truth".

The real question is "What truth will you believe?"  I choose to believe God's truth when He tells me I am more than a conqueror, I am His daughter because He has adopted me, I will never be forsaken or left alone and I am able to do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  I didn't always believe these truths, but today I do and I stand firm on them.

Somewhere along the line, this girl that I love had her "truth" twisted and warped.  I'm praying she comes back to the truth of God that she once experienced.  I am praying she gets very uncomfortable in her leper colony and realizes that, although she is not better than them, she is not one of them anymore.

Superficial Wounds

Women have a tendency to look at themselves in a critical way.  We look in the mirror and see every wrinkle, bump and lump that is out of place.  We see where our skin used to be smooth and taut.  We see our hair getting limp, fine and lacking in its original luster.  We see where our children have permanently left their mark on us before they were even born. 


The sad truth is that a lot of women actually have the audacity to look at OTHER women in that same critical way.  We can see a woman and pick apart her outfit, her hair color and her makeup in seconds.  Let's not even discuss what we think about their comfortable shoes or their 6 year old purse that was purchased at Walmart.


My question is... WHY?  Why do we care what others choose to wear?  Why would I care how you would choose to wear your hair?  Your favorite color is purple and so you want purple streaks in your hair... should I care about that?  Does it personally affect me?  Can I somehow find it offensive if you decide not to update your closet with brand new clothing every season?


I'm not just picking on women... Men are just as bad.  No guys, you're not off the hook here.


Now don't get mad at me yet.  I'm not talking about the few of you that enjoy all aspects of fashion.  By all means, have a blast with it.  I'm also not talking about letting yourself go to the point of not using soap or laundry detergent.  I hope you recognize what I'm talking about here.  I'm talking about shallow, superficial ignorance that can cause severe damage.  When these judgments and comments come out of your mouth, they can leave wounds that can take years to heal...and some never really do. 


Just because these wounds are about superficial things does NOT mean they are superficial wounds.  They go deep and can cause a lot of damage. 


Have you ever met a really attractive person only to be completely disgusted by them when you get to know them?  In turn, have you ever met a "homely" person only to discover later that they are honestly one of the most beautiful people you've ever met?  Yeah, me too.

1 Peter 3:3-4

 Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

I challenge you to look beyond appearances.  I challenge ME to look beyond appearances.