I’m Not Crazy; I’m a Christian
Kat Merrigan
Zip Your Lip!
To speak, or not to speak, that is the question.
Yes, that opening line was inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet. I’m a drama queen, remember? In the play Hamlet is contemplating whether “to be, or not to be” as in whether to live or die. My topic is perhaps somewhat less existential. I’m only talking about the power of our words, or as the Bible put it, the power of the tongue. But do our words have the ability to create or destroy, to make something live or die?
Take a moment and think of the kindest words that were ever spoken to or about you. Go ahead. I’ll wait.
How did that just make you feel? Did you find yourself smiling? Perhaps you felt a bit warm inside. Maybe your shoulders even dropped a little as your body relaxed. You might have felt a bit energized, or a bit calmer. But chances are you felt something upon remembering those words. Could it be that you feel a little better or, dare I write it, even happier?
Now, this is the tough part. Take a moment and think of the meanest, most hurtful words that were ever spoken to or about you. Go ahead. I’ll wait. And I’ll keep the tissues ready, if you need them. I know I usually do.
How did that feel as you recalled hearing someone call you names or make fun of you or simply degrade or dismiss you? Did your heart start to beat a little faster? Did your mouth get a little dry? Perhaps you felt your neck getting stiff as your shoulders tightened with stress. I’m fairly certain you don’t feel the same way you did after remembering the kindest words. And that makes perfect sense.
Our words have tremendous power.
As I did some prep work for this piece, I was reminded of how many Bible verses are dedicated to this topic. The overriding theme in many of them is that it is often best to not speak at all. (Note: All Bible references are from the NIV version on biblegateway.com.)
Here are just a couple of examples:
Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin. (Proverbs 13:3)
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. (James 1:19-20)
If you’re like most of us, you’ve experienced bullying. It’s a horrible fact of life. In my first book, I’m Not Crazy; I’m A Christian, I discussed my own story with bullying. I was never physically attacked, but the verbal scars were still painful. In junior high school, I sharpened my weapon: my tongue. I could cut you ten different ways with just a few precision insults designed for maximum impact. Sadly, I was both bullied and bully. I liken it to a trickling down effect. I was hurting, so I found someone else to hurt. It was so wrong and yet so strangely normalized in that setting. Nearly everyone did it in some form, except for those who were lowest on the social ladder.
I remember visiting a childhood friend one evening. We were both now in our twenties. We stood in her kitchen remembering our pain and the pain we caused others. We both started to cry, not for ourselves, but for those kids that we turned our attention toward. Mind you, I confronted those who bullied me. In some classes, it was a veritable verbal boxing match every day. But I also did tease those who were “guilty” of just being different and an easy target. I told myself I wasn’t so bad because I never hurt anyone. In fact I was nice to them…until they walked away or left the room. Then I would laugh with my friends about the clothes they had worn that day, or the way they talked or whatever trivial nonsense I could dissect. But no matter how hard I tried to rationalize or justify it, it was wrong. In those moments I was a “mean girl”. I’ve had to acknowledge that and ask God for forgiveness for my actions.
This is the part where I write how I learned my lessons at 14 and went on to never use my words deliberately to hurt another person again, right? Wrong. This isn’t a movie or TV show where everything gets tied up in a pretty little bow at the end. With a lot of years of dedicated prayer and effort, I’ve learned to pull back some before a full-scale verbal attack, but that doesn’t happen every time.
Why is it so hard to just zip your lip? In James Chapter 3 of the Bible the tongue is compared to a bit in a horse’s mouth that turns the animal, or the rudder of a ship (vs. 3-4).
Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. (James 3:3-8, emphasis added)
That is a serious paragraph. I suggest you read it again. I don’t know about you, but it actually gives me a strange comfort as I realize that my struggle is not necessarily unique. Our human nature is prone to great acts of selfishness, cruelty, and even downright evil. Without God’s help, I know I’m capable of the absolute worst behavior. I am no good to myself or anyone else. But with God I can do better. I can be better. We’re not hopeless. Those kind words that were spoken over you were true. Those mean, awful words were not how God sees you. They don’t have to define you.
As I said it has taken me many years and missteps (or misspeaks) to get where I am today. The work isn’t done. It is a daily commitment that is particularly challenging when I’m put in contentious situations. Remember, my defense mechanism wasn’t physical strength, it was verbal annihilation. So even now, if I feel threatened in some way, I’m ready to lash out, not with fists but with words that will leave emotional scars that may never heal.
There will come a day when we will be held accountable for the life we lived here and the words we said. Don’t believe me? Great. Check this out:
But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgement for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. (Matthew 12:36-37)
Told you the Bible was serious about this whole power of the tongue thing! If I stop and think of all the “empty” words I’ve spoken in the last five minutes alone, I get chills. I can’t even imagine having to face a lifetime’s worth of them. With that in mind, I certainly don’t want to keep racking up more empty words to add to my tally.
There. Is. Hope.
God is so good. He never leaves us without resources to help us make the most of our time here.
Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. (1 Peter 3:10)
There’s the goal. But how do we hope to achieve it? Check this out:
Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. (Psalm 141:3)
I love this verse. It is an eloquent way to say, “Lord, zip my lip.” I can testify that when I have asked for help in this area, He does give it. Sometimes I’ve literally choked on the words that I was all prepared to say that were shoved back down for my protection. It’s not easy. But, as I often write, it is possible with God.
I asked at the beginning of this piece: do our words have the ability to create or destroy, to make something live or die? I’ll close with this verse. You can decide for yourself.
The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. (Proverbs 18:21)
Remember, sometimes zippers get stuck or rusty, so if you’re like me give yourself some grace as you learn to speak life.
Until next time: stay happy, stay healthy, stay in the know.
Look forward to hearing from you,
-Kat
Overthink. Overreact. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
If you’re a fan of classic Broadway musicals like me, you may remember the famous show South Pacific. There’s a song titled, “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair”. The main character sings about how she’s going to rid herself of this man and any feelings of love just as easily as washing her hair. The theme of the song is that if it’s not working out, dump him. Spoiler alert: try though she may, she isn’t able to merely shampoo, condition, and towel dry that love away. Life is usually more complicated than a simple declaration. It often takes more than platitudes and verbal affirmations to effect change, especially where matters of the heart are concerned.
It can be particularly challenging if you have the tendency to overthink to the point of distraction. If I added up all the time I’ve spent in almost obsessive thought about a situation or relationship, I’m fairly certain the sum total would be a few extra months…or years that I’ve wasted. I noted in my first book I’m Not Crazy; I’m A Christian that one of my good friends pointed out that I need to stop trying to write everyone’s dialog. Call it an occupational hazard. As a writer, I am inclined to envision the “right” way things should go. When they inevitably go a different way, or I don’t get the outcome I desire, I’m devastated.
Let’s suppose I’m having a disagreement with someone. There is the actual argument which may only last a few minutes. But that’s not where the story ends. Oh no, the party is just getting started. I will then spend the next several hours…days…weeks parsing over every detail. In my mind, I will review the exchange as if I’m the head coach studying game day footage. I’ll use slo-mo, freeze frame, and hit rewind so much that the button takes on the exact contours of my fingertip.
In essence, I perform a complete forensic examination of the corpse of the conversation. I may even call in reinforcements to evaluate my findings and see if they concur with my assessment. As I mentioned in an earlier blog post “Where Did I Leave That Lasso Of Truth?”, I have this overwhelming, sometimes paralyzing need to understand why. I am not one who can easily accept that I may never know, and move forward with or without that information.
I get stuck.
Have you ever been there? You’re dissecting every sentence, every word trying desperately to remember every subtle tonal inflection or other non-verbal expression. It’s exhausting! What’s worse is that it rarely, if ever, adds anything valuable or helpful to the situation.
On the contrary, after this thorough investigation, I usually come away more upset or amped up. I do believe there’s a time and place for venting. The problem is that sometimes all this venting doesn’t take the pressure off; it just turns up the heat. As I retell the saga to someone new, I’m immersed in it again. My anger or hurt grows instead of shrinks. I often end up feeling worse than I did at the time the event first took place. Not helpful. I need to get rid of these feelings. Venting didn’t work, so clearly the next logical step is to take some time and process everything. Do my best to put it aside and come back to it after a day or more. Give my emotions time to be tempered. That makes sense, right?
Except, I hardly ever do that.
Once I’m fired up, there is a high likelihood that I’m going to retaliate. I need that last word. I need that “closure”. I need that person to know the full extent of what he or she has done. This is the day of their reckoning. Self-control has left the building.
These are the times and moments when I find it hard to lean into my faith. Why? The Bible says this:
The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. (Romans 8:7 NIV, biblegateway.com)
What does that mean? Well, put simply, if I’m permitting my emotions and feelings to run the show, I’m in trouble. I devoted a whole chapter to this subject in my book. But as I always say, I am a resident expert on absolutely nothing, so I encourage you to not just take my word for it. This is why I include scripture. Another verse states this:
Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. (James 1:8 NIV, biblegateway.com)
A classic image is that of an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other. The angel is trying to steer the person to make the right decision. The devil is trying to lead them astray. It’s a bit of an oversimplification, but the principle is still valid. Many times we are in a kind of mental war. The phrase the battlefield of the mind is used to describe it. We are in conflict between satisfying our immediate desires for revenge, retaliation, etc., and choosing a different, healthier path. This alternate path often requires some sacrifice or denial on our part. It typically will not give us that instant release or temporary gratification. It may mean showing forgiveness where it isn’t deserved or simply letting go. Let me be clear, I am not advocating for giving anyone a free pass if they’ve done harm to you. You do not excuse, but you choose to separate and move forward. This may not be easy. This probably won’t happen in a day. It takes work, but your mental health and well-being are worth the time. You are worth it!
As a Christian, I am learning how to activate self-discipline in this area. The Bible says:
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV, biblegateway.com)
With the help of the Lord, we can get a hold of ourselves. But we must be willing to do that. If I’m being honest, I fight back. I want to run with my thoughts. Overthink. Overreact. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. It’s never because this particular formula produces the best results. Absolutely not! If anything, it complicates the complicated and escalates a minor issue into a full-on conflict. But there is something in me (my flesh) that will rise up every single time and try to take control.
I’m grateful for the progress I’ve made. I thank God that though I still overthink, I am learning to not always go to that next level and overreact. We’re all works-in-progress. We should appreciate that the Master Builder is patient with us. He sees the beauty in us, despite our flaws. He will nurture that in you, I promise. It is a process. It will take time. You may not get immediate satisfaction, but that’s a temporary, fleeting thing. It’s often later replaced with regret or a feeling of emptiness because it wasn’t what you really needed.
I’ll leave you with this verse:
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. (Isaiah 26:3 NIV, biblegateway.com)
Perfect peace when your mind is focused on trusting God. It’s easier said than done. But it is possible. I encourage you to give it a try. What have you got to lose? Plus, zero chance of getting shampoo in your eye.
Until next time, stay happy, stay healthy, stay in the know.
Look forward to hearing from you.
-Kat
I Will Turn This Hat Around!
Spring always means a few things for me – flowers blooming, my allergies booming, and spending most of my spare time on a cold, metal bleacher watching baseball, my throat sore from all the cheering. Full disclosure: sometimes it’s not all cheering. I have, on occasion, disagreed with an umpire’s call and made my feelings known on the subject…loudly.
But I digress.
I’ve followed my nephew from his early days in the sport right up to his current college team. There are moments when I see him out on the field and I’m instantly taken back to when he was just a 10-year-old kid. His intensity, his focus, his drive was apparent even then. Now he has the physical strength and skill to match all that initial potential. It is such a wonderful, bittersweet moment seeing the boy (now a man) honing and using his God-given talent with great success.
I look forward to each home game and do whatever I can to insure that I will be in my seat when play begins. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been a part of this “world” for many years. I come prepared with: snacks, water, blankets, gloves, umbrella, sweatshirt or jacket, because I know that for the next 3-4 hours, I’m not going anywhere. I can’t. No, seriously, I firmly believe that once I’m in my spot, I cannot leave until the game is over. Dehydration becomes a genuine concern though. I’m hesitant to consume too many liquids because that could mean having to leave my spot to use the facilities. That simply cannot happen, so I drink less and slowly dry up from the inside out.
Recently, I’ve come to realize that I’m a bit superstitious when it comes to baseball. Now I’ve heard that a lot of players are very superstitious, regardless of their religious affiliation. If they have an amazing day, they will do anything and everything to try and duplicate it. This could range from the benign: a pre-swing series of moves such as adjusting the helmet and batting gloves, kicking the dirt, etc.; to the disturbing: not washing certain socks or undergarments because they’ve been deemed “lucky”. You know what’s not lucky? Being stuck anywhere near the stench emanating from those items. There is absolutely nothing lucky about that!
I was never an athlete. I always loved volleyball, but never played on a school team. I was drawn more to the arts and entertainment. (Shocking, right?) I was the band geek, the drama queen, the chorus member. I’m also a person of faith. (Shocking too, right? Don’t worry, I’m getting somewhere with all this stating of the seemingly obvious.) The point is that I wasn’t raised in the sports culture of luck and superstition, so why do I have it now as a fan? And just how bad am I?
I have a cap I got from when I visited Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. I usually wear it when I go for a run. I don’t know when it started, but one day I was feeling particularly exhausted and still had a ways to go. I didn’t want to stop and walk, so I turned my cap around and kept going. The weirdest thing happened. I felt energized. I guess it could be called mind over matter, but that symbolic gesture just gave me that extra push.
From that day to the present, whenever I start to feel myself fading or losing stamina, I will turn that hat around, and something happens. I suddenly get very intense and focused, determined to finish my run. Mind you, I look rather silly with the cap on backwards, but I don’t care. It gives me this odd sense of power and assurance.
So one day I’m watching my nephew and his team play, and I’m wearing this cap. The game is tied up and they’re going into extra innings. It’s been a battle from the start, so the crowd (mostly me) is amped up. I want to do something to help the team. Sure, I’m cheering them on, but what else can I do? I’ve got it! I’ll turn this hat around. And so I did. And they won!
I thanked the Lord for being with them, keeping them safe and giving them the opportunity to enjoy the victory. But I also set a mental precedent. I must always have the cap with me. And I must always be prepared to turn that hat around when the team needs it.
Yes, you read that correctly. I, Kat, a woman of faith actually began to believe that my wearing a specific cap backwards somehow affected the outcome of a collegiate sporting event! My belief was further validated during another game. The team was down, so I turned that hat around. Boom. Victory.
Now deep down I know that this ritualistic behavior has no impact. But that has not stopped me. I don’t want to take any chances. The one time I might leave that hat home and they lose, a part of me would wonder if in some small way it was my fault. As I write that, I realize just how goofy it sounds. There’s nothing rational about it. It makes no sense.
In fact, the last two times I deployed this winning “strategy” of mine, the team proceeded to lose anyway. With that undeniable evidence in front of me, you would think I’d stop. But I can assure you that cap will be in my bag for the next game.
My example may seem a bit silly, and it is. But it got me thinking about how many other habits, rituals, or superstitions am I unwittingly employing in my life? The hat thing hasn’t hindered me in any real way, but there can be unhealthy behaviors that might consume us if we don’t recognize, acknowledge, and address them.
One of the most interesting things about being in a relationship is when you do something that seems perfectly normal to you and your family, but your partner looks at you like you have two heads. Those are your habits, your learned behaviors. For example, I often use a knife and fork to eat my pizza. Some people find this crazy. These are also the same people later spewing expletives as the hot cheese drips down their face scalding their mouth and chin. I graciously pass them my water and continue blowing on my cut slice nestled safely on my fork. I then partake of its tastiness while remaining second-degree burn-free.
Is there any Biblical foundation for rituals?
In the Old Testament, the Ten Commandments were given by God to Moses for the people of Israel. These were specific guidelines, rules and regulations for proper conduct. In addition, there were very explicit instructions provided for performing sacrificial rituals, sin offerings and so forth. This was the time of the Law, the precursor to Jesus. When Jesus came, He said that His was a New Covenant. Now instead of rituals and animal sacrifices, because of Jesus’s death and resurrection, everyone has the opportunity to reunite and reconnect with the God who made them, if they so choose. The New Testament’s emphasis is much more on relationship rather than ritual.
As I see it, the trouble with rituals is that you tend to lose a conscious connection. Over time, you may no longer know the why of the what. Why do you do what you do? In the case of small things: like my cap or even how you roll up a tube of toothpaste, there’s little chance of serious harm or detriment. But when it comes to bigger topics: how you treat people, how you treat yourself, your core values, it can become serious. Operating out of a ritualistic or superstitious mindset (this is what we’ve always done, I’ve always been this way, I don’t know why I just do it like that) may have a significant impact on your life and the lives of those around you.
The cap situation (Cap-gate if you will) has given me a chance to reflect and address other superstitions or ritualistic behaviors and habits I may hold. You might find this exercise productive as well. I pray that God shows both you and me any areas that need adjustment, so we can keep our head on straight, regardless of which way our cap is facing.
Until next time, stay happy, stay healthy, stay in the know.
Look forward to hearing from you.
-Kat
Where Did I Leave That Lasso Of Truth?
As a child of the 70s and early 80s, I was raised on action comics and cartoons. My older brother was a huge fan of the Marvel™ and DC™ universes. As his baby sister, desperate for his attention and any opportunity to not get kicked out of his room, I immersed myself into all things superhero-related. I was then allowed access to the inner sanctum (my brother’s bedroom) provided I didn’t talk too much. Yeah, I still got kicked out a lot.
But over time I grew to really enjoy these characters and their adventures. I admired the powers of Superman, the sarcastic wit of Spiderman, the brute strength of the Hulk. The Fantastic Four, The Justice League, Batman and Robin (and Batgirl) – I loved them all. I was, however, particularly drawn to two characters, one from each franchise interestingly enough: Sue Storm/Richards aka the Invisible Girl (Marvel™) and Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman (DC™).
Sue had the ability to make herself disappear, hence the whole Invisible Girl title, obviously. I wanted that so much. It wasn’t like I didn’t want anyone to see me, but to be able to slip in and out of rooms and situations without being noticed seemed so cool to me. I wanted access to secret conversations, closed door meetings, back room dealings, and every other cliché imaginable. I wanted to know the truth.
Of course, no one could get to the truth better than Wonder Woman. As a side note, she too had invisibility powers. She had an invisible jet. I must say that always just seemed downright dangerous to me. Her plane was invisible! This means that no one, including pilots, birds, etc could see it! Am I the only one who envisioned some catastrophic in-flight incident? And when they’d go to check the black box that records everything, that wouldn’t help because her plane is invisible! Picture it – the aircrew is flying along minding their own business when suddenly WHAM! They’re in a tailspin, calling in a mayday, people are screaming, oxygen masks are dropping from the ceiling; it’s chaos. Meanwhile, Wonder Woman in her invisible plane jumps out to safety. She’d even probably have to stop the other plane from crashing into the ocean or a nearby mountain. Then as the saved passengers take turns thanking her for rescuing them, someone asks, “What happened?” The bewildered pilot replies, “I don’t know. We hit something. But there was nothing there. I swear. There was nothing there.” Wonder Woman might have to beat a hasty retreat at that point.
But I digress.
What I wanted more than anything was Wonder Woman’s lasso of truth. If you don’t know, she would literally throw this golden rope around someone and they would be forced to tell her the truth. I want that! Can you imagine the possibilities? I’m not speaking of doing something nefarious with it like using it to get the combination to a safe loaded with gold bullion or anything. I’m talking about preventing someone from lying. Just think how different things would be in this world if, for example, politicians and people in power were tied up with that beautiful, golden thread and made to speak only the truth.
Sadly, my dream of having a lasso of truth was never realized. But what I learned from reading the Bible is that there is a belt of truth. Don’t believe me? Good. Don’t take my word for it; check out the verse:
- Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. (Ephesians 6:13-15 NIV, biblegateway.com, emphasis added)
We’ve got access to a belt of truth! But one may ask, “Whose truth? Yours? Mine?” Believe it or not, there are objective, universal truths. These form the foundation of society, of its morals and conduct. Though the current trend seems to be to move away from objective truth and embrace more subjective ones, which by extension means relying more on emotions or opinions rather than facts, the Bible defines truth in this verse:
- Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John14:6 NIV, biblegateway.com, emphasis added)
Does this mean that I’m supposed to wear a Jesus belt buckle?
No, it does not.
The Word of God, the Bible, is where the Truth is found. It’s where you can learn about God and His Son Jesus. You can then choose whether or not to invite Him into your life, your heart. The choice is always yours. What I can assure you of is that should you choose to make that commitment, He can then send the Holy Spirit. This is an absolute game-changer. The Holy Spirit is the greatest superpower there is. I often give the warning to others that lies don’t last too long around me. With the help of the Holy Spirit, the truth always comes out. The best part is that it usually happens with little to no effort from me. Some might even call it divine intervention. I just call it my secret weapon. But that’s a subject for another time.
Hope you enjoyed this post, and remember, don’t go out without your belt buckled. And stay away from invisible planes, if you can. Of course, they’re invisible, so how can you avoid them?
Until next time, stay happy, stay healthy, stay in the know.
Look forward to hearing from you.
-Kat
My Only Wisdom Has A Cavity
Welcome to the site. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you taking some time to visit. When it was suggested I write a blog, my first thought was:
Do we really need another blog?
That’s a fair question, no? I actually had a similar thought before I started writing my book I’m Not Crazy; I’m A Christian some 13 years ago. Did I really have anything to say? Would anyone actually want to read it? Would it help anyone who did read it? But then, as now, there was this overwhelming desire that I just couldn’t shake.
In the case of the book, I started and stopped writing many times over the next decade. Finally, when I had poured out all my ramblings, I began the process of organizing them into some sort of cohesive narrative that I hope you enjoy.
My favorite writing style is this conversational one that I’m using here and I used throughout the book. I like feeling as if we’re sitting together just having a good chat and, hopefully, some laughs. And if there’s a cupcake or cookie, well then I’m really, really satisfied. I’m a simple gal. It doesn’t take much to make me happy.
What would make me truly happy is if you and I can connect here. I want this site to become a platform for healthy conversations about life—the good, the bad, and the ugly of it. As a Christian, I believe the Bible is the guidebook for our lives. If you’ve never read it, I highly recommend you do. If you even start with the book of Proverbs, you’ll soon see how much wisdom is contained in it. Don’t believe me? Well, here’s how the book begins:
The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: for gaining wisdom and instruction;
for understanding words of insight; for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to those who are simple,
knowledge and discretion to the young—let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance—for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings
and riddles of the wise. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
That’s the biggest spoiler alert ever! It gives the whole plot away! But whether you believe it or not, and whether you read it or not, you’re welcome here. I think we could all benefit from more humor and honest conversation.
In that spirit, as my title states, my only wisdom has a cavity. It’s a fact. Three of my wisdom teeth chose never to make an appearance. The one that did went bad. Because my mind thinks the way it does, I couldn’t help but wonder if this was some natural expression of a supernatural truth. Whatever little wisdom I may take credit for is…well…rotten. Thankfully, because I’ve read Proverbs, I learned this valuable lesson:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
(Proverbs 3:5-7 NKJV, biblegateway.com)
Don’t be wise in your own eyes.
What a simple statement that holds so much truth. I don’t know about you, but many are the times that I think I know the whole picture, or I know I’ve got it all figured out. When I inevitably learn that I was wrong, it’s quite humbling. In this season of my life I am learning not to lean on my own understanding. When my mind races to solve a problem, I have to pause. I have to breathe. I have to consider that there might be more going on than what I know in that present moment. I might not have all the information. The intel I gathered (because now I’m a covert ops specialist, apparently) could be wrong. My sources might not be the most reliable.
But I’m sure you never have that happen to you. You’ve never gone off on a mission (again, because we’re spies now) only to see that mission fail, spectacularly. And there’s the collateral damage to consider. The unintended consequences of us being wise in our own eyes. Our choices may end up hurting others as well as ourselves.
That’s why I’m trying now more than ever to make sure I’m getting my marching orders straight from HQ. (I don’t know how I got on this militaristic theme, but we’re here.) For me, that involves giving what I think I know over to God and asking for His input. I won’t lie and say that I’m obedient and follow orders at all times. Nope. I do not. But I did better today than yesterday. And don’t get me started on last week!
The point is we’re all trying to navigate far from normal times. This site and my blog will be a place to share our hearts with humor and hope.
Look forward to hearing from you soon.
-Kat
Welcome to my blog!
Welcome. My name is Kat Merrigan, author of I’m Not Crazy; I’m a Christian. I’m so happy to have you as a visitor to my blog about my new book. This project is very special to me, and I hope to share some of that excitement with you here.
I’ll be using this blog to interact with you about I’m Not Crazy; I’m a Christian, expanding on some of the topics in it and blogging on some of the ideas related to my book. This is a great place for you to get to know me, and I’m looking forward to getting to know you, too. What did you think of I’m Not Crazy; I’m a Christian? What questions do you have for me? How do you relate to my book?
I’ll be returning here frequently with new posts and responses to feedback from you. Until next time, tell me a little bit about yourself.
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