burning bridges

So sometimes people will tell you that the Christian thing to do is be friends with everybody.
But here's the deal. There are some people I'm awfully glad Jesus loves because I sure as hell can't love them. Or even like them. Or maybe I like them, but I like 'em better when they are far away from me.

There's an old joke. A group of people asked a Rabbi, "Rabbi, do you know a proper blessing for the czar?" And the Rabbi said, "May the Lord bless and keep the czar...far away from us."

One year ago today I burned a bridge. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made, and I'll stand by that until the day I die. I wish the people on the other side of the bridge very happy...and very far away from me. This has been the best year of my life. This is what God wants for me, not that pitiful, sniveling existence where I didn't make my own decisions and believed it was okay for people to hurt my feelings because they "loved" me.

You don't have to love those who hurt you. I mean, Romans 12: 14-15 says "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse." But that doesn't mean you should let them keep hurting you. God made us to be smart, capable human beings. No one has the right to take that feeling of intelligent capability from anyone else, because it hurts. It hurts to have someone take away your control of a situation so completely that you still have nightmares about it. But that's when you walk away. And God will help. He can help. He's about the only thing that can, I think, besides truly great friends, who are like little pieces of God in my opinion anyways.

But now, things are going right. My friends that I'd abandoned in the chaos of my high school years have forgiven me. As they say "you were in a dark place." And they're just...glad I'm back. It's amazing. And they support me and my burning of bridges. It happens. Life happens. It just makes me very glad for second chances, for friends, for my family, and for having a faith that has been undiminished by so much crap.

Thank you God for helping me grow a spine.
Now to grow some slamming abs this summer to go with my new super hot bikini top...

And also, HELLO LOVELY FRIEND who has started reading this blog!