My Baby

My baby.  My beautiful, sweet, probably only baby.  Therein lies my recent issue.
Lately I have been really struggling emotionally watching my beautiful girl grow up.  She's been changing so fast recently which has been very exciting but also heartbreaking.  It hit me that I will probably never have this again.  As I pack away all the adorable newborn clothes she no longer fits I realize I'll never use them again.  As I celebrate with my friends that are expecting I realize I'll never be pregnant again.  I am so incredibly in love with Elli & so grateful for the miraculous blessing she is, but at the same time I'm really struggling knowing I'll never get to do it again.  It has been the greatest thing we've ever done & it's tough to know we'll never get to do it again.
Maybe I could just freeze time & keep her a baby for a year or two.  ;)

God in a Box

A fab friend of mine with whom I always have amazing discussions brought up the topic of the 10 Commandments the other day.  Interesting, I thought, but not terribly provocative.  I was wrong.  I began reading & almost immediately my mind was blown.
I guess I've always had a pretty basic "Sunday School" understanding of the 10 Commandments which I never felt a big need to push beyond.  I mean, they're just a list of rules, how interesting can they be.  Well, mind-blowing is the answer.
I began reading articles on interpretations of the commandments & only got as far as the first/second commandment (depending on your denominational bent).  The prohibition of images.  I guess I've always glossed over this one as "don't worship little statues" & moved on.  In reading an online article suggested by a friend (which you can find here http://mb-soft.com/believe/text/tencomma.htm ) I've started some serious thinking.
Putting God in a box is idolatry.
God knew back in Moses' time that we humans have a tendency to define, to simplify, to explain away.  We want things we can understand, things we can grasp & examine & essentially master.  We don't like not knowing, we don't like the unexplained or the unknown.  In Moses' time this often showed itself in religion through the creation of manmade gods, idols.  How comforting to have a God you can see & touch.  God specifically banned the creation of His likeness in manmade form for He cannot be captured or known by such human limitations.  He knew He had to be clear about this or people were going to start confining God to an object or an image like the pagans of the time were doing with their gods.  Then they would begin worshiping that thing instead of the Creator, they would begin equating that object with the totality of God.  That's idolatry.
Today in our Western society the temptation is not to worship an image of God in the form of a crucifix or a medieval triptych, but to worship our small finite definitions of an omnipotent God.  We put Him in boxes that we're comfortable with, boxes that help us feel like we've got a handle on who God is, how He thinks, what He wants.  
For some people that's coming up with sets of rules to follow because their box is legalism.  For others it's trying to explain God away by believing they can explain away all He created.  For others it's defining God in simplistic soundbytes that are easy to swallow.
Each of these are forms of idolatry for the god being worshipped isn't the one true God, but the image of Him they've created.  This commandment against graven images isn't about prohibiting rosaries, it's about protecting the boundless mystery & wonder of God.
I've got a lot of thinking to do. 

Hallowe'en

So this blog post is actually a very big deal for me & writing it is a big step.

If you know me you know I avoid conflict, always.  The thought of conflict makes me ill, literally physically ill.

So, whenever someone asked what Elli was going to be for Hallowe'en, I tried to sidestep & evade.  It was easier for me than saying the truth.  My husband & I have decided not to celebrate Hallowe'en & Elli won't be either.

This is usually met by disbelieving stares or eye rolls.  The stares from non-Christians who see us as depriving our child of a fun childhood rite.  The eye rolls from Christians who see us as "one of those" Christians.  The ones who are "old school" & over react to every little thing.  Seeing evil behind every bush.  The sad part is that the non-Christians usually settle down the moment I explain that Hallowe'en isn't compatible with our beliefs.  "Oh, okay," is the typical response.  They don't want to offend or belittle my beliefs.  I appreciate that, a lot.

The Christians are the ones I usually get the argument from.  This is why I avoid the conversation.  But with the Hallowe'en season just passed I have been feeling convicted for being afraid to confess my faith in this way.  So here it goes.

*Disclaimer: If you are a Christian who celebrates Hallowe'en I am not condemning or judging you in any way!  This is one of those gray areas in the faith that each person must think & pray about themselves.  Until a few years ago I celebrated Hallowe'en too cuz it's fun & I like fun.*

To me celebrating Hallowe'en is like that story in the Old Testament about Daniel & the king's food.  Daniel felt convicted & refused to eat the king's food because it had been sacrificed to idols.  That's the only reason he didn't eat it.  It wasn't that the food itself was bad, it wasn't that eating was bad.  There was nothing wrong with the food, eating is good & healthy & enjoyable.  There is nothing wrong with any of those things.  His problem was with the spiritual context of the food.  That food had been spiritually bound to idols & that carries with it spiritual baggage & consequences.  So he abstained from it.

We abstain from Hallowe'en for the same reasons.  It's not that dressing up is bad.  Collecting candy & having fun is not bad either.  It's the spiritual context of the holiday.  This particular holiday is spiritually bound to darkness & always has been, so the celebration of it comes with spiritual baggage & consequences.  Therefore, we choose to abstain.

That is our reasons.  We do not look down on anyone who chooses to celebrate Hallowe'en.  We do not condemn anyone for celebrating it.  We have simply made a decision based on our beliefs and convictions & we ask others to respect it.  

And Elli will have a whole trunk full of dress-up clothes by the way.  I LOVE to dress up!  :)