Tom Branch - Roads of Faith

The best line from the movie American Beauty was when Kevin Spacey was asked about his characters desires for getting back into shape, was it for abs? no, was it for cardio, no....he just wanted to feel good naked again. I am not sure about the questions he was asked but they were along those lines.

But yes this does seem to be one reason I want to loose some weight is to feel good naked again. But that phrase is for one scaring people reading this but there is reason for that comment.

Not speaking of physically feeling good naked again and loosing weight, getting healthy but also for faith and spirituality.

Yes drawing closer to God can help get naked. I know that I am reading a book called "Naked Christianity" but while reading and having the wonderful laundry time today I came across a few more thoughts. I just shut up and let them come to me. As earlier today I started off in a funk that was left over from yesterday. Having to do laundry the difficult way in carrying everything across the apartment complex I ahd the place to myself and did lots of reading and thinking. Even had a diet coke.

Speaking of I hope to drink it just enough for the word diet to stick in my head to remind me of what I need to do...diet and exercise.

But really after the first sin from Adam and Eve we were then naked and felt ashamed. What if this meant not only physical clothing? But what we hide behind every day? Our masks? We hide behind lies, attitudes, sins, lifestyles, passions, loves, lovers, wealth, joy, sadness, we hide behind everything. Do we feel that ashamed that we try to blend in and hide our nakedness, our shame behind these, well I guess they would be considered sins. We get caught up in self-pity, hmm that sounds familiar, that we lose focus on God. Oh look something bad happened, let me run and hide my nakedness, my sorrow, my shame behind self-pity then I can feel better.

And we then shame God. Why don't we, very extremely including myself, run towards God instead? Like last night for example. I did the self-pity route. Now if the car had not screwed up I would not have got to go do laundry nice an quiet like while reading and coming to a few understandings. Also with these women I look for values in...if they are that shallow and empty now...God took them away from me before it got out of hand, before I let them take away from my relationship with God, before they could hurt me, before I could hurt myself.

Through my eyes, the eyes of the world I was wronged by all the events after going walking yesterday. Through the eyes of God he did me good, grace, and mercy. As now I see yet again he did not forget me, he is here walking with me. I need to know my dependence on God, and he is doing so.

This is one of the biggest parts of getting naked. Being honest and authentic. Not hiding behind ourselves, blending in so well we fit a group and go along with everything. Be authentic, be ourselves, be for Christ. I personally tend to think God, God, God, God, that I forget about Christ and look towards his teachings and life. While I thought I was suffering, at one point I thought well Christ suffered more than this. That should have stopped me there. But it didn't. I did not want to be naked. I wanted the shelter of my thoughts and pity.

God loves me and everyone as we are, as I am. So why do I go to God clothed or naked? He sees me completely naked anyways. He sees right through me.

Wow I really feel better after doing laundry. And for once I even have the clothes folded up instead of having a clean clothes pile hahaha. All because of God.

I wonder if I can talk anyone else into trying to feel good naked? Hahah just to scare them.

2 Comments:

Sage_Muse said...: I stripping right now...ha ha...

I hear waht you're saying dude. Sure right now I'm a belly dancer but when I was much skinnier than i am now, I didn't feel quite as confident about my physical appearance as I do now, 3 kids later. Check out my website www.bellydancetx.com to see what I'm talking about.

Anyhow, I ran accross a title, The Caffinated Christian. I'd like to pick it up soon because the description talks aobut how you may be de-caffinated and ready for the full force dose. Personally, I'm ready for the starbucks espresso version right about now.

I ran across Christa Webb's blog. She wrote some pretty toucing & moving stuff about praying and waiting for God just to do his thing for us. he's got it all planned but the journey there is tough and rough.

ok, the diet thing...yeah, I went through that too...yeah, I pretty much hurt myself pretty bad physically trying to "diet". I had emergency surgery because of my "diet" habits. Baby steps is my suggestion. Change one thing per week, like try to wean off of coke & soda all together, the next week, avoid eating after 9pm and so on. let me know how it goes. Even if you change one part of your daily routine, like pack your lunch the night before so you aren't tempted to run out & get the super sized BK burger that Paris Hilton is advertising or whatever. Take a different route to work so you aren't tempted to stop by Krispy Kreme for a snack or whatever. Ok, I'm going to stop writing becaue I'm making myself hungry with this post & its 12:18 am, I DON"T NEED TO EAT...anyhow, best of luck to ya!
-Mere; Friday, May 27, 2005 12:19:00 AM
Tom said...: Yeah I have a few rules that I am wanting to impliment for weight loss. But most of this was about the spiritual naked....and the physical side to hahaha. But you gotta have a belly for belly dancin :); Friday, May 27, 2005 9:13:00 PM

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