I think we should come to the altar naked.
No more of this beautiful white gown and glorified-perfect stuff.
Seriously, I think we should come naked: as. we. are.
Messy. Dirty. Bruised.
Self-mutilated. Self-shamed.
Holey and drained.
Ashamed and afraid.
Angry. And even amazed.
Our vows should be of a different kind.
Aware that we will surely swerve and sway and make mistakes.
So I'm proposing a new kind of vow.
To our groom (or our bride), as much as to our littles, and each other.
A daily vow as much as a life vow.
: : :
my loving you today is a choice, and you need to know this:
i will get angry even after i say that i won't.
i will surely hurt you.
i will be unlikeable a lot of the times.
i will abuse and adulterate what we've got.
i will put me first.
i will have unfair expectations of you.
i will be impatient, and impish.
i will abandon my umph and stickwithitness.
i will want to run.
i will try to hide.
i will want comfort more than i will want the hard work.
i will make so much about me.
i will want what i want over what i know is what's best.
i will get everything so tangled and twisted, just as i will be.
i will complain of not having what i want.
i will pine for better days.
i will come into my days scared and scarred.
i will not promise that i'll always love with a generous and committed heart.
i will, though, guarantee one thing: i'll always be human.
i will live the definition of messed up, tripped up, effed up.
i will be me.
i will boldly and brashly bring my whole self to the table, at least some days: real and raw.
i will reflect my need for undeserving grace, unconditional love. true redemption.
if that's what you're willing to want, then let's do this thing . . . this life . . . this day.
this is our worship.
Linking with Jennifer.
