I work with some of the best people ever. Some of them just flat make me laugh my head off. One of my favorite episodes was a few days ago. A friend of mine is over-weight - probably from the stress of her job and a whole host of other issues including irritating Mormons....
We were talking about her impending gastric surgery and I asked her if there were any calculated odds of not surviving with the various kinds of surgery she had contemplated. And then, knowing how, in the past, she railed on how stupid people are that believe in God, I asked her if she was in good with her Maker in case something went horribly wrong during surgery. WRONG THING TO SAY!
Man, did I catch a tirade. She started laying into people in general who believe in God being the equivalent to believing in the tooth fairy and a whole diatribe that just had me rolling. Because - I really do - and I quite enjoy the taste of purple kool-aid - and thanks for pointing that out.... The more I laughed, the more she got red in the face and the more she got spun up. She talked about how she lives in Mormon hell and how she can't stand them of all people - all the while I was just howling. She apparently bought a 2 acre parcel in the middle of a Mormon enclave - papa Mormon bought 20 acres years ago, 'spawned' 9 children and then subdivided giving each kid around 2 acres. She apparently walked into the hornet's nest when she signed for the two acres smack in the middle and has paid for it ever since. She apparently gets invites to go to church and cookies and such from her well-meaning neighbors - which just enrages her even more. To make matters worse, one of her daughters apparently converted. Which then sent her into another tirade which got me to join in with her tirades about such stupid, backward people. When she realized that I was having way to much fun ripping apart the Mormon faith with all their quirks, she suddenly stops, jaw drops and she goes, "What? Are you one of them?". I was just howling by now as she was back-pedaling. She really does like me - so she had really stepped in it. It is one of those things that made me glad I woke up that day; I had so much fun playing along.
When she was done back pedaling I told her that I have proof that God lives - the night our kid died I received an incontrovertible witness; and she actually seemed to listen (and I fantasize about her receiving a life changing witness much as Paul did and seeing her bloom in her eternal potential). The harder they are, the sweeter the conversion and the testimony to those around them who saw the before and after pics.
What a blessing the knowledge of God's plan is to me. It helps me look on my fellow beings (who are bitter at God for whatever reason) with love and to succor their needs just a little more than had I not had that witness where I might struggle somewhat in the face of their arguments that there is no God. I KNOW HE LIVES - and loves ALL of his creations with a boundless love. What a wonderful plan he has for us - even for His most bitter of detractors and opponents who have gained a body and the possibility to live in His presence again if they so choose it. May we all live for that privilege is my prayer in Jesus name.
Hello Brother Wood :)
ReplyDeleteI reallly loved this story of yours, it made me think about my own work experience. Sometimes it's a slow day and we get talking and somehow it turned to mormons and how their churches were just popping up everywhere then it was "oh magical underwear this.." and "holier than thou that" and I just smiled while they were talking then gestured to myself and kind of laughed. It was amusing how they talked, especially as one of them had been baptized, liked it when she was younger then 'dropped out because' "you can't go into the temple when you have tattoo's blah blah blah" it was funny but they just kind of looked at me with this quizical look, most liekly wondering if they had insulted me or not. I talked about some things but that part of the conversation was basically dropped.