Transparent Christian Magazine

After a long car ride with my three small children in the back seat, I was tired. Tired of driving, tired of being in the car, and especially tired of the noise. Even the good sounds of my children playing happily in the back seat were seriously grinding on my nerves.

We were close to our destination, but needed gas. As I was filling the tank, I maintained the role of crowd control, trying to in vain to prevent the inevitable blowup.

‘Don’t spill your drink… don’t wake the baby… don’t touch your brother… don’t pull your sister’s hair…’ and then I hear it. A voice from the other side of the gas pump (can’t even see his face) says “Wow! That’s a lot of don’ts over there. Is there anything that they can do right?”

And there I stood speechless. What could I say in response? It occurred to me on the rest of the ride that he made a great point. In my attempt to avoid meltdown, I was taking away any fun my children were having.

Just like any parent, God put many “don’ts” in his Book. Of course, our God knows that if we do dumb things like hit our sister, she will most likely return the favor two-fold and scream real loud for the world to hear. He does want us to avoid the ramifications of our bad choices, so he’s given us suggestions on how to do so. Some churches seem to focus so heavily on the don’ts that they turn Christianity into a drive like my kids’ car ride.

… Strapped into a seat
… Stuck and definitely not having any fun.

When I read the Bible, I get a very different feeling from God. I believe he is all about the joy, thrills, and excitement in life. I think that following God is the most exhilarating and rewarding ride we will ever know. I’m pretty sure, when Joseph found out that his fiance was pregnant with a child that he knew wasn’t his, and he heard a voice from God telling him to follow through with the wedding, he wasn’t immediately focusing on the thrill of the ride. He wasn’t feeling the joy. He married Mary anyway, just as God instructed him to do. As that child grew, he discovered he was raising the promised savior of the world. Can you imagine what he would have missed out on, had he responded something like this to God “You’re crazy! She cheated on me and now she’s knocked up. I’m out of here!”

This week I’m trying to not get bogged down on religion as a list of rules, but follow God’s suggestions so I don’t miss out on the greatness he has planned… Oh yeah, and yell at my children a little less too!

Michelle Kramer