Authentic Christianity, in my world, of faith and life, is more like surviving a hurricane of emotions. Finding joy in the mundane – like having the squished cupcake that my son refused to eat cause ‘of the look’. It’s about peace in the chaos – like maintaining composure when your teenage daughter “borrows” your new mascara and then ‘loses’ it.
They say Christianity is about love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) Having faith and trusting in God paves the way to peace and goodness. Yeah, well, try telling that to my moody man-child and my brood of hormonal teenagers.
To me, what is grace? It’s finding a smile when your husband grunts instead of talking, and you’re pretty sure he forgets your name at least once a week. Kindness? That’s the endless stream of snacks and laundry I provide. Goodness? Well, I’m working on it. Faithfulness? Absolutely, IT IS my sanity. Gentleness? Ha! Self-control? Let’s just say I’m a work in progress.
I’ve come to believe that authentic Christianity is actually about mastering the art of selective hearing, developing a saintly level of patience (which, ironically, the Bible says is a fruit of the Spirit), and cultivating a deep, abiding love for caffeine. All while having faith and trusting in God.
Faith in the Middle of Family Chaos
It’s knowing the Bible backwards and forwards (kinda), yet still messing up royally in faith and life. It’s finding God in the pandemonium of carpools, non-stop dirty dishes(like seriously, what the heck man!), and never-ending laundry (Again, what the actual heck!). It’s realizing that true faith is about stumbling forward, one messy day at a time, muttering prayers under your breath, and making note of Romans 5:1-10 every day.
‘Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also boast in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.’
Romans 5: 1-5 (NIV Bible) {1}
My reality show of faith and life
My life is a reality show, but instead of a camera crew following me around, I’ve got Jumanji and Judge Judy unfolding in my own home. Trust me, the ratings would be through the roof if this were prime-time TV.
I’m a Christian wife and mother of two challenging teenagers, which means I’m supposed to be calm, collected, also radiating a saintly aura. However, let’s just say the screenwriters have a wicked sense of humor and the divine disruption is real.
My days are magnificent masterpieces of blending colors of anarchy, caffeine, and dubious parenting choices. I’ve deduced that I’ve unlocked a secret level of Jumanji that involves advanced negotiation skills, the skill to decipher cryptic teenagers, and a Wonder Woman tolerance for grunts and sighs. It’s like being a hostage negotiator, a linguist, and a therapist, all squished into one.
Then there’s my husband, he’s wonderful, except when he’s not. I’m pretty sure he’s got a direct link to the planet Mercury; his mood swings are faster than a toddler’s temper tantrum. It is a regular game of “will he or won’t he” explode, and let me tell you, the suspense is killing me.
I often wonder if God has a running bet with Satan, like HE did with Job (2), about how long I can maintain my faith amidst this chaos. Sometimes, I’m convinced Satan is winning, but then I heed the verse about counting it all joy when I face trials.
Embracing Grace Instead of Perfection
Yes, the road of faith and life is ridiculously tough, like when the trying season just doesn’t seem to end, or the knocks just keep on knocking. Here’s the thing, though, through all the madness, there are always moments of grace.
Little glimpses of God’s light, peeking through the storm. I’m talking about divine disruption. You know, that subtle (or not so subtle) nudge from God (or whatever higher power you subscribe to) that jolts you out of your comfy little shell and screams, “Hey, there’s more to life!” Like when my teenagers surprise me with a heartfelt thank you, or when my grumpy hubby shows his tender side, these flashes remind me that even during the drama and crazy, God is with me.
These disruptions force me to step out of my comfort zone in my Christian faith in everyday life so that I can rely on HIM. I’m reminded that my hope is in HIM and my strength comes from HIM. Faith isn’t about having all the answers or living a perfect life. It’s trusting God amid the mess, and finding strength in His promises.
When God Shows Up in Unexpected Places
One thing I’ve learned about authentic Christianity is that God rarely shows up the way I expect Him to. I keep waiting for burning bushes, angel choirs, and crystal-clear instructions. Instead, He tends to show up in the middle of ordinary moments.
Like during an early morning gym session when I’m dragging myself through a workout and wondering if my body received the memo that we’re trying to be healthy. Somewhere between the sweat, the exhaustion, and my questionable life choices, I find myself praying. Not the eloquent, church-worthy kind of prayers either. More like, “Lord, help me not to pass out and please help me not to eat my weight in chocolate later.”
And somehow, He meets me there.
I’ve found that authentic Christianity isn’t always discovered in the big mountaintop moments. Sometimes it’s found in the small victories. Choosing patience when I wanna scream, choosing kindness when I’m irritated and choosing faith when my circumstances are shouting fear.
Some days my faith feels strong enough to move mountains and other days it feels like it can barely move me from my bed to the coffee machine. Thankfully, God isn’t measuring my faith by its size and HE is looking at my willingness to keep showing up.
I’ve also realized that grief changes you, losing my son changed me in ways I am still discovering. There are parts of my heart that will always carry that loss. Yet somehow, God’s grace has been large enough to hold both my sorrow and my hope at the same time.
That’s the strange beauty of faith, it doesn’t erase the pain…it gives the pain somewhere to go.
So when life feels overwhelming, when the laundry mountain is staging a hostile takeover, when the teenagers are communicating exclusively through eye-rolls, and when my husband appears to have joined a witness protection program for emotions, I remind myself that God is still here.
Still working.
Still loving.
Still carrying me.
Even on the days when all I can offer Him is a tired prayer.
Wrapping up
Authentic Christianity is about embracing the chaos, finding the humor in the little things, and trusting God through family challenges. There’s a bigger picture being crafted, and if all else fails, there’s always coffee (Lots and lots of coffee). And who knows? Maybe one day, my life story will inspire a reality show or even a self-help book called “Christian’s Guide to Domestic Chaos.”