Prairie

Lately it seems that the topic of many conversations around here have to do with the hurt and anger that the local Bible college has caused for many people. I myself grew up inside the bubble and after attending kindergarten through grade 12 and spending 3 years on staff at Prairie( a whole nother blog in itself) I have plenty of things I would love to vent about. It seems like every person who has attended there, has stories of how they were wronged. Although I am usually right in on the bitter rants I felt the need to write about some people at Prairie who were instramental in my survival there. These are people who made me believe that there was more to God and Christianity than rules and fear. Although these are not all of them I wanted to mention a few.

Mr Redifer-My science teacher for grade 7-9 was an example of patience love and forgiveness.

Don and Pam Richards-provided a home to hang out where I always felt safe and unjudged.

Pat Massey-my supervisor for three years who defended and protected me from attacks by some very judgemental bitter people.

Shelley Ekstein-my CALM teacher and school counsellor who broke the rules by letting us call her by her first name and said "shit" in class.

Jake Penner-taught me bible10. He was the first person that I ever heard pray and realized that he was actually having a conversation with God. He made me want to experience a God that was real and present and alive.

These are just afew that stand out in my mind. There may have been others but these are the ones that stuck with me. Although they lived on the meager Prairie salaries and were surrounded by legalistic religion, their lights shone and so I
thank them.

Freedom

I made a new discovery last night.I thought I had a pretty good grasp on the whole freedom in Christ thing. I know that I am not bonded by rules and religious regulations. I dont have to feel guilty if I dont read my bible every day and dont pray every single time I eat something. I make stupid mistakes all the time God doesnt sit up in Heaven shaking his head saying "Lynnette your such an idiot. When will you ever learn". That part of freedom I understood.

The part I didnt see, was that I am also free to love uninhibited. I dont have to hold back in order to protect myself. Let me give an example. There has been times when I felt that I should take a meal to someone but I didnt because I said to myself "What if they dont like my cooking? What if I make the one food that they really hate or are allergic to? What if I dont make enough and they still end up hungry or I make too much and they have left overs for a week so that they are so sick of that food that it will become the new food they really hate?" I can really get myself worked up and it doesnt take me long to talk myself out of doing whatever I thought I was suppose to do. The truth is that really what I am saying is "What if I reach out and screw up? Then they might know that I dont have it all together. They might find out that I am a human being just like everyone else."

So here is where the freedom comes in. I can totally love on someone without fear because it no longer matters what other people think. I am loved by Christ and his opinion is the only one that matters. I dont have to be shy anymore. I can take a leap and talk to someone bacause it doesnt matter if I sound stupid and uneducated or even worse, uncool. I am a child of the King and that makes me untouchable. I can even wear a swimsuit, stretch marks, flab and all. God loves me just the way I am and that makes me free.