Tabula Rasa

I'm not Good at This

When this picture was taken, I was one of two best men at my best friend's wedding. It was a beautiful worship service filled with little nuances that make the most excellent memories. Including me dropping the ring...

It's ok. Neither the groom nor the bride noticed, and I don't think the camera guy caught me. Seemingly, I have escaped historical record of my failure (other than this blog post and the memories of the onlookers).

I took this snapshot to say that I'm not good at random pictures. I'm not sure whether it proved or disproved my intent.

However, since this momentous occasion, I have learned something far more massive than my inability to be random in front of a soul stealing contraption. I am not good at life.

I mess things up in life so frequently. I want so desperately to make it to the end of my life by enjoying it. I always have. I asked my parents what aspirations I had as a kid and they told me nothing! All I wanted to do was enjoy life. It's still all I want to do. I don't want to deal with pain or hardship. I just want to get to the end and look back and say, "that was fun." I'm sure there are others who feel the same.

I know that's not how life is, and it's probably not the most enjoyable way. Here's the thing... I don't think anyone is good at life. If we were, why would we need God?

"... and I'm a Mormon"

Greatest marketing ploy ever. If you haven't seen these ads, you should check them out to understand what I mean. I forget how I first ran into one, but I remember saying to myself, "Self, the Mormons are on to something here. This is the greatest marketing ploy ever.

In the event you haven't seen one yet, here is what happens. First, you have about a minute of something quite normal or semi-awesome. It's your average everyday person talking about whatever it is they do. They could be a mom, a recording artist, or a surfing champion. I know... you thought when I said normal, I meant something like chewing some gum. You had no clue that I meant being a pro surfing champ.

Then, at the end, you find out what the ad is all about. This person that you just recently became attached to unleashes the one thing you didn't see coming. This person reveals that they also happen to be a Mormon amidst they're everyday life.

There lies the secret to this ploy! You have now been convinced that you can be a semi-awesome person and have religious ties. All I'm saying here is that I'm not sure how we missed this. I haven't done my research, but I think many people think Mormons are weird. However, I think many people think Christians are weird too.

I'm not saying that the way of Christ is suppose to be cool. It's not. I think many people look at Christians and think, "Many people, these Christians are hypocrites and self-righteous do-gooders." Granted there is probably a fair share of that in Christendom, but I think that many people miss the semi-awesome person who says, "I'm a Christian, and this is my life."

(See what I did there? I switched the placement of the "I'm a Christian" to the beginning instead of the end. Was there a reason? You tell me.)

Just the beginning of a conversation. What do you think?