Nothing more than poisonous fat.

Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not

be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be

given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together

and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with

the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Luke 6:37-38

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Dear Me,

You are the keeper of wrongs. You’ve spent a miserable amount of time writing down the sins of the one you love, knowingly nodding at the list like you couldn’t have dreamt it up yourself.

And yet you have, haven’t you?

Paranoia is like a serpent. No. Scratch that. It’s like the serpent known by Eve, that smooth crest of skin sitting near her shoulder.  Look at him over there. He says he loves you. But how can you fully trust anyone who isn’t yourself?

That smooth talking beast is on to something, isn’t he? He is the half-truth teller, giving a bit to chew on when it’s nothing more than poisonous fat.

But God is the whole-truth teller, your Father who sent His Son to die on a tree for your adulterous heart. Yes, that’s right–you are the adulteress here, friend. There’s some fat for you to chew on.

For a long time, you won’t know to confess this whole-body anxiety as sin. You won’t acknowledge “not-letting-go-ism” is the number one cause of your deceitful heart. You’ll refuse to believe you are just as culpable if not more, because in addition to breathing and exhaling sin, you act as if you’re a god who needs to be pleaded with for mercy.

And what kind of relationship can stand that amount of hypocrisy?

Fortunately, those you love aren’t so vicious. They love and forgive freely, giving you grace, even in this. My suggestion? Take and multiply it and share it until all the cups you lovingly wash overflow.

Because how you measure the forgiveness in your heart will measure your allegiance to the One who made it.

Talk soon,

Ericka