This time, it’s not my birthday or Christmas or Easter… i think she just sent me the letter without an occassion. I suppose the occassion might be The Saving of Audrey’s Soul.
It’s not quite as crazy as the last letter. It’s full of evalengelical stuff, sure, but it’s not signed from God or anything. She did include a helpful pamphlet titled “Running From God?”
Are you running from God? The reason i ask is because I ran from God for the first 22 years of my life. I grew up in a Christian home… I knew about Jesus Christ, but i did not have a personal relationship with him…
As i think back on those years of running from God, there were several excuses I had for not giving my life to Him. Perhaps you are using the same excuses i had. I thought being a Christian was boring. I wanted to have fun. Christians, in my mind, were people who had decided to live a life that was devoid of excitement. I thought real excitement was found in bars and nightclubs, and for a number of years I looked for my fun in those places…
Another excuse I used for running from God was that i was too young to give my life to Christ. I wanted to enjoy my youth and thought I might give my life to God when I was old.
So, this is what my grandmother thinks of me! I can understand a bit why she is trying so hard to save me:
- She thinks I hang out in bars and nightclubs. While i have nothing against bars or nightclubs, i can sympathize with my grandmother’s impression that the godless do nothing but drink and stay out late and generally lead hell-raising lives. I mean, what else do we have to do? Of course she would want to save me from that.
- She thinks i can be saved. If she thinks i am running from God, then it implies i think there is something to run from. I think if she really and truly understood that i don’t believe there is anything at all, she might stop trying.
So, i’m going to correct her misimpressions and write a response this time. I almost wrote to her after my initial birthday letter from God, but figured it might all go away if i ignored it. But this time i’m in the mood to stir things up. I will post again if i get a response from her.
September 17th, 2008 10:45 am
I *so* want to start writing about my own fucked up family relationships. Although mine is not entirely on religion — it’s really Tim’s mom that’s all about God and Christianity — there are still similarities in what your grandma thinks YOU as a person ARE vs. who you really are. My parents: exact same thing. They don’t know me but they think they do.
But, and I mean no harm on your grandmother’s personality, but in general, the religious fervor that people have leave them with no true way, desire even?, to figure out why someone can’t think, not only for themselves, but DIFFERENTLY…whether you choose to believe or not, or to believe in something else.
September 17th, 2008 8:06 pm
Hi Audrey – Cindy sent me your blog. The similarities between our relatives is shocking
You may remember my dad was a preacher too, and even @ 44 years of age, I get the same shit – even though I’ve pronounced myself an atheist.
I know they love us, but damn – give it a rest !
good luck