Beer Bloggles

Have you ever heard of beer goggles? When someone drinks to much and all of a sudden they start seeing things that aren't there? They are attracted to someone they normally would walk right by. They are acting like a fool, but they feel like they are the funniest guy/girl on the planet. They are monopolizing the conversation with musings that make no sense, but they think they sound extremely intelligent?
Boy do I remember those days before I was a Christian. I had too many nights when some sort of goggles from some sort of chemical substance I shouldn't have ingested made me feel like the worst of decisions were a good idea.
Actually before I was saved it was kind of like I was wearing beer goggles all the time. I just couldn't see CLEARLY. I thought things that could hurt me and ruin my life were the things to strive for.
I still remember the day my boyfriend and I (who were living together and pretty miserable with all the fighting) visited a church. We had been wanting to go for awhile and finally one night we walked a half an hour through the streets of Brooklyn, NY in the freezing cold to this church we had heard of. We argued the whole way!
When we finally arrived we pushed open the double doors thankful to get out of the cold, but we got a whole lot more than we bargained for. That was the night I finally took my beer goggles off! That night I became a Christian. It was amazing! The next morning everything seemed brighter, even the dingy NY subways!
I have realized over the past few weeks that without even knowing it I had allowed a different sort of goggle to cloud my eyes. Religion goggles. And similar to beer goggles you don't even realize they are there until you take them off.
What are religion goggles? Well, for one things had stopped looking so bright. Nothing seemed hopeful in my life anymore. I realized I had become known for what I didn't believe in rather for what I did believe in. I was feeling a contant sense that I was never doing enough. In my own mind MY LIFE had become SO big and God had become rather small...or maybe not small but just SO far away!
Recently, God in his mercy helped me to see, the same way He patiently led me to a place where I could take off the things that blinded me the first time.
Again things seemed bright. I have a hope and a future. I am reminded what I was created for, but also I am finding comfort in the fact that I am a small piece of a giant puzzle that HE is orchestrating together. My own life and it's troubles aren't SO HUGE. I am not just a part of a small church plant I am a part of the body of Christ! I can celebrate the successes of all my brothers and sisters all over the world because we are working together to glorify His name.
So are you wearing any goggles?
Here are some signs-

• You might be wearing Christian beer goggles if you are feeling a heavy weight on your shoulders or all you can think about is your troubles and hardships.

• You might be wearing Christian beer goggles if you find it really hard to rejoice in the blessings of others or your feel jealous every time you see someone with a bigger church, better car, nicer house, more friends, more talent....etc.

• You might be wearing Christian beer goggles if you feel trapped in your life and don't feel the freedom to just be who God made you to be.

• You might be wearing Christian beer goggles if you know what you don't believe in, but you're having a really hard time finding what you do believe in.

• You might be wearing Christian beer goggles if you think are your problems are stemming from another person or a circumstance like money, resources etc.

• You might be wearing Christian beer goggles if you think a person or money or a resource is the ANSWER to your problems.

I am sure the list could go on and on. If you want comment and let me know what your Christian beer goggles have been!