Articles

Mended: Week 2

Published

11 years ago

October 11, 2012

Hi Friends. It’s Ashleigh again.

Well, Week 1 in our discussions of Mended: Pieces of a Life Made Whole started off slow. Really slow. My hope is that we’ll gain momentum with each week. So if you’ve yet to comment, jump in.

This week we read the chapters “Crucified by Love,” “Why Weren’t You Moses,” and “The Scarlet Cord.” My favorite of the three was “Why Weren’t You Moses.”

Why?

Because, well, I have what Angie addresses in this chapter — a comparison problem. If you want to know just how bad it’s been, read my article “Lie to Me” from a few years back.

It isn’t constant. And it’s certainly much better than it was five years ago, or even three when I wrote about it. But it’s still there, rearing its ugly head at the most inopportune times. I won’t bore you with those details, though.

These words from Angie stood out to me:

There will be no measuring stick when we see our Savior face to face. I have images of apologizing to Him, fumbling for words as I have tried (no better than a toddling child) to convince Him that I want to be as good as “so and so” or as brave as “so and so.” I am realizing more and more that I am not in charge of how I compare to anyone else. I need not look at my failings and others’ successes, imagining that I have failed the Lord or disappointed Him. What a waste it is to watch each other and long for what others have, how they manage to do it all so well, and why in the world we can’t get our act together enough to be as good at having a quiet time or so ruthlessly capable of memorizing Scripture.

Yes, what a waste. And I want to stop wasting.

I love Angie’s suggestion to create a tangible reminder to help stop these thoughts. I’m still determining what that will be. Have any of you done this? If so, please share what your tangible reminder is.

OK, your turn. Which chapter was your favorite and why?

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Ashleigh Slater

Ashleigh Slater is the author of the books Braving Sorrow Together: The Transformative Power of Faith and Community When Life is Hard and Team Us: The Unifying Power of Grace, Commitment, and Cooperation in Marriage. With over twenty years of writing experience and a master’s degree in communication, she loves to combine the power of a good story with practical application to encourage and inspire readers. Ashleigh lives in Atlanta with her husband, Ted, and four daughters.

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"Real life is not always pleasant. Every marriage experiences disappointments, misunderstandings, sickness and financial crisis. Ashleigh doesn’t camouflage the pain in her own marriage, and offers practical ideas on how to walk through the difficulties and find intimacy on the journey. If you are anything like me, I predict that as you read, you too will find yourself laughing, wiping tears, and saying 'Oh, yes.'"

-- Gary Chapman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The 5 Love Languages