Day 17 con'd - It's Not Your Mom's Chicken Anymore...

Oh, I wavered with this...the Chick Fil A thing...

Should I say SOMEthing, ANYthing, Facebook it, ignore it, let others have their say and simply appreciate that we all have the right (thank you, America) to our own opinions, and move on?

And then I had a thought...or three...

Uh, oh.

I know. Scary...but here goes nothing...

I grew up lucky. My mom and dad raised me to believe that we are all created in His name and that He guides us (no matter how willful we are at any given time) on the path He has chosen for us.

I have never seen color.

I have never seen gender.

I love all people.

I am (for the most part, honestly, because we can all be snarky sometimes) non-judgemental.

I am honest.

I am kind.

I am generous.

I am human - not without faults.

My parents did that.

As I age, I have come to a place where I have just a couple criteria for whether I may consider you (or him or her, or they) a friend...

Have you murdered anyone?

Have you molested anyone?

If you can answer no to both those, then I'm going to give ya a chance. And even then, the circumstances surrounding a yes to either of those might be...well, anyway...I don't want anyone to miss my point.

And no apologies, this is going to be a LONG post.

So let's see, now we are friends. I don't care what your past brings, I don't care what others believe or don't believe, I don't bother with rumors that could muck up our new relationship; I ask only that you are honest and true - as I will be to you.

Now...here's where it gets a bit sticky.

I was raised by two of the most conservative Christians I've ever known.

Both my parents passed years too early and before I was grown enough to discuss my views or theirs in regard to certain things.

As I sit here, I don't know if my mom would be horrified by homosexuality and how OUT it is these days.

I can't tell you if my dad would have made it a point to visit Chick Fil A on Wednesday to support the CEO and his values.

Chances are they may not have had an opinion on it either way.

(...oh, how I wish for one more conversation with either of them...)

Chances are I'm of that mind because for the most part, I don't have an opinion on it either way.

I believe sincerely, that every human has a right to his or her opinions, thoughts, ways, and means.

I believe sincerely that the head guy at Chick Fil A is right in his opinions about gay marriage.

I believe sincerely that I am right in my opinions about gay marriage.

I believe sincerely that this whole freakin' thing has gotten way too out of control.

I believe sincerely that this sort of (freakin') thing happens a LOT.

We forget. 

We forget that it shouldn't matter what someone else thinks or says or does (within reason, I'm not condoning murder, child abuse, thieving, or the like, geesh).

We forget that we are humans and we all love, hurt, cry, laugh, and make choices we'd rather forget.

We forget to remember that about other humans too.

I was genuinely shocked at some of the lines that were being drawn on Facebook and elsewhere over this Chick Fil A thing.

As a Christian - just a Christian - I was raised to be kind.

As a Christian I was raised to love my "brother" as I do myself.

As a Christian I was raised that hate is deplorable and must not fill my heart.

I am a Christian. Not a good one, not bad, either. Just a Christian.

I am also a human...

...who has spent the last several days in turmoil over this entire Chick Fil A mess.

I'm not trying to piss anyone off, I'm trying to make sense of a ridiculous, blown WAY out of proportion media frenzy.

Someone voiced an opinion. Someone else didn't like it. Other people made up fake stuff to prove their point. Others still got louder and made signs. Some showed up for chicken on Wednesday. Others stayed away specifically. And still others chose to ignore the whole darn thing.

Do I have the gist?

Because here's the bottom line:

With ALL the rights you (and me, and him, and her, and they) get to have in your life, the ONE right you will never have...

Is to tell/order/demand someone else to believe what you believe.

Educate. Encourage. Motivate. Mentor. Share...

But don't get so caught up in (a craziness) that you forget how to behave.

Don't act a fool and expect people to respect your place.

Believe what you believe, allow me to stand beside you and believe what I believe, and let's all just try to get along.

Have you thought of the alternative?

Now, listen... I didn't write this to make friends or lose them. I truly believe my God is a loving God and that's where it ends - my relationship with Him is mine alone. I am sure I'm not even being too clear on where I'm going with this, or where I've ended up.

Though I can tell you, honestly, I won't ever eat at a Chik Fil A again.

OMG, WHY?

Because I've only ever been once, we don't have them where I live, and I am trying to avoid fast food. My decision to go or not go has NOTHING WHATSOEVER TO DO WITH MY OPINION ON GAY MARRIAGE.

Yep, I said it.

Now that it's out there, I'm also going to say this:

I love my family, and I love my friends, lots of whom I consider family. I don't always agree with them, nor they me, but that just makes us unique; for me, that's a good thing. I don't expect to change their minds about stuff, nor should they work too hard to change mine.

...because...

I have gay friends, white friends, black and brown friends, and sometimes blue friends. I have fat friends and skinny friends, and good friends and just smile 'n' wave friends. I have political friends and famous friends, and funny friends and sad friends. I have conservative friends and liberal friends and...

OMG, I am so lucky to have ALL my friends.

I love you all, you better believe it, UNconditionALLY. Because you are - simply - friends!

In our ever changing, evolving world, one thing we ALL must remember:

It's not your mom's chicken anymore.

Till next time!

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She Loves Unconditionally - Darn Right I Did That!

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