Maybe I’m just a thickhead who can’t grasp common concepts. Maybe I’m too much of a dunce to comprehend solutions. I honestly don’t know. I do know my cognitive thinking brain works slower than average. It’s likely the reason I’m a lost cause when it concerns mathematics. Even my reading comprehension is slow, and I read at a more leisure pace than my fellow readers. School was hard for me, because I didn’t “catch on” fast enough, and it was such a daily struggle.
So when asked the question “If you died tonight, do you know for a fact you’d go to heaven?” I was a total wreck. For years. I was terrified I had the wrong answer, or as in my case, no answer at all. The funny thing is, I grew up in the church, in a religious household, going to Sunday school and church all my life. All my friends and siblings were getting baptize in faith but I kept holding off because I was too scared that when posed the question “What must you do to be saved?” I wouldn’t have an answer to give. In fact, it wasn’t until my teenage years before I finally began to grasp what it meant to be a Christian.
Actually, I’m still figuring that out.
The silly thing is, had I been told these very simple and easy to follow instructions, I would have been a more confident woman growing up.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
“This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom He has sent.”
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes unto the Father except by me.”
-Jesus Christ
I think Jesus did a tremendous job making it as simple as possible, and people got in the way with their rules and religion. I don’t question whether I’m “saved” or not. I know I am. It’s nothing to boast about, because I didn’t get here by being a good person or doing a lot of good things. The miracle of the love of God is grace. And that grace is a gift.
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
And it really is just that simple. I wish I grasped this concept a long time ago, but I feel I appreciate it more after going through the struggle.
So here’s the writing reference (why yes, everything relates to writing. This is an educational blog!): Write simple. You may think that a long and arduous explanation will help the readers. Here’s the kicker: it won’t. You’re not trying to confuse them, obviously, you’re trying to share something wonderful from your heart and your imagination. Even though Jesus was sharing the greatest thing that ever hit the world – the key to ever lasting life and salvation – he kept it simple. “Believe in me.”
Hey, believe in yourself too. So keep it simple, keep it understandable, and keep writing. You know, even Stephen King has something to say about excessive wordy-ness. He says “don’t.” Speaking of believe…I believe in myself. Even if I am a thickhead, I wrote and published three books and have maintained a blog for three years. Booya.
That’s all I have for today, folks. Until next time.
This has been,
Fanny T. Crispin
Written Things 