After my last blog, I spent a lot of time thinking about Brian and I and how much I rely on him. It was a very rough week for me and God reminded me that although Brian is my rock in this world, God is the one true constant who is always with me.
Brian and I got married when we were both 18. I can’t remember much of my life without him. He was always supposed to be my knight in shining armor and take me away from a life I struggled in. I had him on a very high pedestal for the first few years of our marriage. I sometimes think I rely on Brian more than I rely on God. And although, I believe God brought Brian and I together, God needs to be #1 in my life always.
A couple of weeks ago, I fell at work; this week, I had to go through some unexpected medical procedures that were very difficult for me. I don’t remember going through a medical procedure without Brian by my side. We have been married for almost 23 years. He has always been there to hold my hand. I unexpectedly had to have an MRI, which most people would think is no big deal, but I first had to have some dye injected into my wrist so they could see things better. I have a very hard time with needles. I struggle because all I wanted was for Brian to be able to be with me. To sit next to me and hold my hand. But he works in a city about an hour from where I work, so there I lay in a cold hospital room with the stinging of the needle in my hand and the only one I could call out to was God. In that moment, I was alone. Brian couldn’t be there. I couldn’t call him on the phone, I couldn’t text him, there was no one but God to support me in that moment. The next part was almost as difficult. I have a very hard time being enclosed in tight spaces. I am very claustrophobic. I had to go head first into the MRI machine, not all the way but enough, that I couldn’t see out either end of the machine. Brian wouldn’t have been able to be there for any of the MRI. He wouldn’t have been able to hold my hand. The MRI guy asked if I had any music I wanted to listen to. I asked him if I could listen to Christian music. He said “Sure? Any specific band or group?” I said “Casting Crowns.” So, he turned on the music and I laid on a cold hard table and went head first into the machine. The whole time all I could think was God please help me, God please keep me calm. The first song that came on and played all the way through was In the Eye of the Storm by Ryan Stevenson. I truly was in the eye of a storm. I struggled and held tight to my God knowing that He is my anchor and my rock.
I made it through but it was hard. It was interesting the whole time I wanted Brian by my side but I knew God was telling me that He is who I need to rely on. I think I struggle with that a lot. I have such a hard time sometimes trusting that God is always there. Brian is my knight in shining armor too often and I need to focus on God and that He is always here.
So, you may ask, what does this have to do with Mormonism? In Mormonism, no one trusts in God and what God can do for them. It is all about what they can do for themselves and when you strip away all aspects of religiosity from Mormonism, nothing is left. When you take away Joseph Smith and all the things that Mormonism is founded on, nothing is left but feelings of emptiness and loneliness. There is no God at the center. There is no God to trust in. The faith in Mormonism is put in empty promises and ritualistic ordinances that have nothing to do with God. It is all about doing and being enough instead of accepting that God has already done it all.
Also in Mormonism, a woman’s salvation is dependent on her husband. She has to trust that her husband is going to be good enough to make it in to heaven so that he can “pull her through the veil to the celestial kingdom”. In the Mormon belief system, a woman doesn’t need to put her trust in God and believe in God for her salvation, her trust is put in her husband. Not only that, if things work out right, she can be a god alongside her husband. If one doesn’t have to trust in God for salvation, and can become a god themselves, what is the point of God?
As a Christian I know everything can be taken from me but I will still have my relationship with God. I can be sitting alone and scared in a hospital room and feel God’s presence around me and comforting me.
I love Brian to death, but I don’t trust him to be good enough for his own salvation let alone mine. And what if we got in a fight just before he passed away and he decides he doesn’t want me to be in the celestial kingdom with him? I just can’t put my trust and belief in man. That’s what God was showing me this week when I went through some hard things by myself. I wasn’t really by myself. God is the only one I can count on to always be there 100% of the time. God is my rock and my salvation. He alone deserves the pedestal that I so often try to put Brian on.
I’m just a small-town girl… trusting in God when I’m alone in the world.
Just a Small Town Girl dot dot dot 