Integrity

I was on such a roll. I knew this would happen. I dropped blogging from my "normal" routine and months go by. A lot has happened in that month. We went on vacation, we moved a child to college, we started school, we moved a child to college... Oh yeah, I said that already. One day I am going to blog all about this transition. One day ... not yet. However, it has made me notice life. One of the things Emily has been talking about is how hard it is to know people, to really know people. Last week during church I was thinking about this (it really was related to something the pastor said.) We were sitting sort of in the back. I was looking at all the heads in front of me. Some people were listening intently, some were taking notes, some were looking around. It made me start to wonder about them. Why were they there? I will be the first to admit, I am a skeptic. I have known many a "Sunday" Christian. In fact, until my adult years, I would venture to say that I knew way more fake than real. I detest fake. My kids do not understand fake.
This Sunday, I was closer to the front. I didn't have as many heads to look at. However, the pastor said that each year they send out a commitment letter. I commitment letter asking for each member's yearly intended giving. He said that 60% of the congregation mail those letters back with a designated amount yet never send any tithe at all. My mind questions "how could you do that"? Why would you even bother sending the letter back in? Do you kid yourself that they don't really record giving? I understand that things happen but to 60%? That's a lot of people saying one thing and doing another. Now, let me just clarify that I am not perfect, not even close. I just want to be real. I want to be as real on Sunday mornings as I am all during the week. I want to say what I mean and mean what I say. Emily is learning the hard lesson that, while it should be and has been for most of her life, integrity is not always a character trait people strive for. This morning, a friend of mine had this quote as her facebook status: "Few things are more infectious than a godly lifestyle. The people you rub shoulders with everyday need that kind of challenge. Not prudish. Not preachy. Just crackerjack clean living. Just honest to goodness, bone-deep, non-hyprocitical integrity" ~ Chuck Swindoll. Now that's what I'm talking about! Imagine what our world would be like if the human race showed that type of integrity. Forget the human race, imagine if all Christians showed that type of integrity. It's definitely a goal worth striving for!