A "Lushious" Heart that is sober for Jesus

For weeks now this post has been so close to my heart and it never fully leaves my mind. When I least expect it, this subject pops into my head, and my mind wants my fingers to start typing, and my brain start to thinking, and my lips start to move in a silent way as the words form and the keys click, but time just hasn't agreed with my mind's plans.

So on this Saturday afternoon, where the only noise I hear is the Air conditioner in the window, and the quiet strokes of a paint brush in my mom's mural in back of me, a quiet voice inside of me says "Do it now Ginger. Sit down and write it now!"

Originally, this post is written for my blog, where I love to jot down my day to day thoughts, and joys and other fun things about me and my family. But I am going to do something a little new today and copy and paste this post so my facebookers can also read this.

Most of you know, this summer I have been away from home, working at a daycare with my older sister. Besides the trials and tribulations of working with 13 children at once, I have had a pretty good time.

Children are my comfort zone. When there are children around me I tend to be myself, and forget about being in an unfamiliar surrounding, not knowing many of the people, children bring out the best in me! So, when I was offered this job, I didn't automatically think I wouldn't know anyone besides Leslie. Instead I thought, cool, working with children all day sounds like fun and will give me something to do until next school year.

And that is exactly what it has been, fun! However, I didn't know how much my faith and my beliefs would be tested in these three months of summer.

I feel like I have been asked so many different subjects about different things that I do and do not believe in. I could write a book, but the one subject that doesn't seem to want to go away is the matter that I don't drink.

I have never really thought much on the matter. Only that I knew in my personal life I would never touch an alcoholic beverage, that I believe that drinking is wrong, even an occasional drink. That when the Bible says "Wine is a mocker and strong drink is raging...." God means every word of it! So in my own life any type of "strong" drink will not be downed into my body. So besides that, I knew that other Christians and non Christians drink and believe it's fine, but I never thought that some of these people would be so shocked over my conviction.

I laugh at how naive I was. I was slapped with reality as soon as I casually mentioned I was turning twenty -one. (Big mistake I tell ya) "Twenty one, are you going out partying all night on your birthday?" "No" "What?????" "I don't believe in drinking." Dumb founded look "You don't drink at all?" "No." "Woooooooooooooooow!!!" These people are literally shocked that I won't taste one sip.

What really shocks me is how alcohol rules peoples lives. I mean, yes, I may not have been around many people that drank before this summer. But how it's their comfort zone, like children are to me, disgust the living day lights out of me! So why am I writing this post? Why am I telling people what they already know? That drinking is everywhere. That many people are fine with it and that people think I am odd because I don't drink.

I am jotting this down because even if you are like me, and never plan on taking one sip of alcohol in your life, I worn you, don't be so naive like I was. Don't pretend it's not out there because it is and if you are like me, and never thought the question would be broached, it will be, and you need to be ready and stand your ground.

If you are just the opposite of me, and feel like I have been sheltered my whole life. That I don't drink because I don't know how good and refreshing it is. That maybe if I had one sip I would change my mind. Maybe you are one that thinks an occasional drink once in awhile maybe wine with dinner is fine, and I am over reacting. The fact of the matter is, I am not. I believe you can have a fun time with out poisoning your body. Without putting harmful liquid that can harm a baby and has to have a legal age to drink it, into your system.

I'd rather not be a lush. Or rather not get sick all night or have a killer headache in the morning. I'd rather be sober with a luscious heart to sever the Lord. Forgive me if I sound too "preachy" because I am not trying to point fingers at people and say take this to heart. I just felt a need to write a post about something that has come into my life and what I think upon the matter.