What Am I?

I had an interesting conversation last week {in the busiest part of my workday} that went something like this:

Person A: ....Lauren, you're Methodist right?

Me: {caught off guard in the middle of my charting} Uh, no. I was raised in a Methodist church but I'm not Methodist.

Person A: Well, your husband is a pastor or something right?

Me: {cringing, because I already hate the way this conversation is going. I hate being labeled,
and I hate being referred to as "married to the pastor"}. No, my husband was a youth
pastor in California and in Trussville, but is now a full time student at UAB.

Person A: Oh. Well, what are you?

Me: {awkward silence- how am I supposed to answer that?!}

Person B: He means what church do you go to? What do you believe in?

~~~~~~TIMEOUT~~~~~~- I would like for you to notice two very loaded questions right here that really have nothing to do with each other but will regardless say a lot about me in how I answer them. I can't say I am "Presbyterian" because most people are unaware that there are two very different denominations of Presbyterian, one of whose doctrine I am adamantly against. This theological information would be irrelevant to the nonbeliever or nominal Christian, and our conversation would pretty much end there with me being labeled as "Presbyterian" and then everyone would move on. Instead I say:

Me: well, I attend a Presbyterian church, but my beliefs most align with that of being Reformed.

Person A: Well, I'm Baptist, and I've never heard of that before

Person B: Me neither. That must be some Christian thing.

Me: {Thinking, "How in the world is this conversation happeneing while I am trying to calculate
urine output and charting medications that I am late in giving?!"}

Well, in a nutshell, I believe In Grace Alone (that comes from our Sovereign God), Through
Faith Alone (as opposed to any good works I could do to merit salvation), In Christ Alone
(who paid the penalty for my sinfulness, something no one else can or ever will be able to do
to make me righteous before God)


The conversation sort of ended there with an "Interesting..." or something, and we all parted ways to finish our daily tasks, but it did open the door for a deeper conversation with Person B later on.

But the title of this post is "WHAT AM I?" because that is the original question asked of me that I really did not answer. My answer comes from Romans 7:18-20, 22 which says

"For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing...For I delight in the Law of God in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind, and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?"

~ PRAISE THE LORD FOR ROMANS 8~

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life has set me free from the law of sin and death."

Thank you, Jesus, that I am labeled as nothing else but belonging to You. I pray, Lord, that you would give me adequate words to convey this during times when I am asked in whom or what do I believe. Amen.

For more information on Reformed Theology, visit http://www.reformationtheology.com/