31 Days: Input From You

I thought I might share a few tid bits from some emails/texts I have gotten from some of you readers. I didn't ask all of you for specific permission to quote you, but I will do so discreetly and anonymously. I have enjoyed the interaction with you readers tremendously! Thank you ever so much for sharing your input, I would love to hear from more of you. I have picked out a few pieces here and there of things that were helpful to me or of particular interest...

"Too many Mennonites play the comparison game.... "If she can do it and be a Christian, than so can I!" Wait a minute!!! This is a horrible question and thought process! We don't evaluate our standards against other Christian believers! We compare ourselves to the heart of Jesus and how He asks us to live!"

"Every concerned family (or organization) has guidelines/rules that they go off of. The children need to obey whether they understand them or not. That's not saying they can't learn why someday when they're old enough to get an in depth answer. I guess I don't think we need to have a big or bad reason for every guideline."

On changing to cape dresses --
"I could see the point of cape dresses - and even quickly learned to appreciate them and how they did help keep my heart away from endless shopping at the mall and slowly sliding my standards of modesty."

"You keep mentioning being different. I'm wondering if that's a bigger deal in your mind than it is in other people's minds? In our church there is a lot of variety, in my opinion that means we are *all* different. We all are the odd ball in some way.... The older I get the more I see we draw lines at different places. One family may draw a conservative line on dress, another family may...draw a strict line on curfew or internet use or being on time and showing up every time the church doors open. Is one better [holier] than the other? I think not. While it would be easier to raise a family in an environment where we all have the same dress code and curfew, etc that's just not life. We all have areas where we draw a line more conservative than our peers making us/our children the odd balls. But I am also learning sometimes those more conservative lines are not always readily apparent. We just won't all have the same convictions. And I have no business judging others because I think my lines are more righteous."

"My problem with Mennonites is I see and hear so much focus on light (i.e. calling uniformity unity) and the Life seems so secondary. Like the specific "light" of doing things one way proves that you have Life. I guess I don't understand why you're choosing to stay where (I think) the focus is so external."

"Maybe those who want rules have valid, workable reasons. Who said rules don't work? I mean who determines that they have/or haven't, do/don't work? I have to think of those who don't have rules...how well are they passing along values, etc? ... How can it be that someone from the world becomes convicted that they need to dress modestly and start to dress in skirts and wear a headcovering because they feel convicted about it, while we start down the path of looking more like they used to and do the things they wouldn't feel comfortable doing anymore?"

As you see, it's been an interesting month! :)