Excerpt from I Became a Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy T-shirt by Vince Antonucci.
"Little Emily looks cute in her souvenir shirt that proclaims, "My parents went to Florida and all I got was this lousy t-shirt." But there's something sad about it too. She missed the journey. She didn't get to take part in the adventure. While others broke out of their dull routine, Emily missed the excitement of doing something different. She didn't get to play in the waves or hug Mickey. She didn't get to experience the joy. Even the horrifying incident when the tire blew out and Stan, the self-proclaimed 'Good Samaritan Redneck,' rescued the family in his Sanford and Son pickup truck has quickly become a fond memory for everybody. Everyone except Emily. She missed the journey.
As I've gone to church and met Christians and lived as one myself, I've realized something.
We are Emily.
When I read about the lives of early Christians in the pages of the New Testament I see people who actually went "on vacation to Florida," who truly experienced the ups and downs of the trip. But when I look around at Christians today, I see people who just wear a t-shirt for an adventure they've missed out on. We're missing the journey. We're stuck in the same dull routine. We're missing out on the joy and fear and laughter and doubt and mystery and confusion of following Jesus, of taking great risks for God, of praying dangerous prayers, even of being spiritually attacked.
We wander around with lifeless shark eyes.
The more honest among us find ourselves asking questions like: Is this all there is? Is this really what Jesus meant when he said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."? Is this the life Jesus died for me to have? Didn't Jesus pay too high a price to bu me this life? Am I just supposed to be miserable until I get to heaven?
I think the word that best describes how many feel about their Christian lives is not abundant, joyful, or purpose-driven, but disappointing.
And when I met Christians for the first time as a sophomore in college, I was disappointed. I was disappointed at their disappointment. And I swore I would never be like that.
So maybe God is the problem. Perhaps he's just a master salesman. After all, he's good at everything else.
But I don't think so.
Actually, I think we're the problem.
And I think I have the solution.
I think we need to go on a vacation."
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