You are currently viewing How Would You Handle It? Tot Mom Shows Up at YOUR Church Edition

How Would You Handle It? Tot Mom Shows Up at YOUR Church Edition

I confess, I’m writing this ahead of time so by now, the news might be saying something new. I also confess I have a total writer’s imagination. Where normal people see a grandmother hail a taxi, I think the CIA has a big mission in the works. It’s how I roll.

So with those confessions, here is where my mind went when I saw a news headline that Tot Mom Casey Anthony was spotted in Ohio. Again, I can’t say for sure this really was her and if so, is she still in my state. I can say though, she has family VERY close to where I live. The Anthonys’ used to live in the area years ago. So having her show up here isn’t impossible, so it got me thinking.

What if she showed up at your Sunday church service?

I mean there is no doubt in my pretend scenario, it is her. She is coming to a place of worship. A place where one believes they can go and receive forgiveness and grace.

Could you give it? To her?

It’s not the same but years ago I remember hearing a story about a very straight laced church that knew the Bible backwards and forwards along with every denominational rule. One Sunday a biker shows up in traditional biker gear. No one paid him any attention, unless you call ignoring and avoiding eye contact attention.  As the story goes, he stood up at the end of the service and announced who he was. He was a businessman who also happened to love motorcycles. He committed that summer to visit churches and see if they would love him as Jesus commanded to love. The church was sick with the truth. They treated the man awful based on his looks.

I live in an area where I don’t need to drive far before I can find gangs. Drugs. Prostitutes. Ex-Cons. Even without those things this is a heavy tattoo heavy place. What if someone with a sleeve of tatoos shows up and plunks down next to you in the pew? How about someone who greets you with their name and then, “I have AIDS.”

I envision all these scenarios coming to pass…soon. I also think when they find a relationship with Jesus they will most likely teach many long standing Christians (especially me) many lessons. They are hungry to be loved no matter how hard of a front they put up. In reality, they aren’t that different than us, are they?

But I digress.

Again, I know someone wearing leather isn’t quite the same as a young woman found innocent of murdering her own child.

Or is it?

Let’s have a good chat about this.  Let’s keep it kind.  I truly don’t have a right answer here, I can’t promise I’d throw a hug around her neck and have her sit by me. But I just got thinking, and this is where it ended. Have at it.

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Julie

Kingdom minded. Wife. Mom. Author. Reader. Fan of chocolate. Learn more at http://linktr.ee/JulieArduini.
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Sara
12 years ago

So much of our (my) problem, I think, is pride. “*I* never did ….” “*My* sin is nothing compared to …” The fact of the matter is, until we have new life in Christ, we ALL are dead in our sins. It’s just a comparison of the extent of the decomposition of the corpse; one corpse may look better than another, but it’s equally dead. When I really grasp that fact, my pride must be dissolved completely into humility and gratefulness to God for His amazing grace to me, a wretched, undeserving sinner. It’s then that I begin to realize… Read more »

Julie Arduini
12 years ago
Reply to  Sara

Sara, I agree. We tend to compare ourselves and our sins but God doesn’t. Yet I confess if she indeed entered my church, would I embrace her? Ask her to sit by me? I hope that I would but I know my flesh would fight it every step of the way. May I always keep in mind my sin and how fast Christ embraced me. Thanks for reading!