Anal Christianity

I bet you never thought you would see those two words side by side. Well, I'm the perfect man to use them because I have been accused many times of being both "anal" and OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). I really don't see where there is any merit to those claims. Doesn't everybody have their closets organized according to type of clothing and make sure the shoes are lined up and always returned to the correct spot? Is there anything wrong with folding your underwear and stacking them in an alternating fashion? What's the big deal with storing CDs in alphebetical order according to the artist's name and by date of release when there are multiple CDs from the same artist? I know that everybody who has a collection of Tom Hanks movies keeps them proudly displayed in order of release.

Well, evidently I'm in the minority. Everybody doesn't do those things or the other obsessions that I have like keeping all magazines on my coffee table straight and in reading order and keeping the Charlie Brown books that I have stacked in order of the seasons portrayed in each. You may have noticed that my Blogger List has everyone listed in alphabetical order by last name. I had to do it. Some of you may be reading this, smiling, and shaking your head wondering why I have to do this. Do you think God ever looks down at us, smiles, and shakes his head wondering why we feel like we have to do our acts of worship the same way every time and make sure that everything is "decent and in order" (as we define it, not as it is used in 1 Cor. 14:40)? God wants His children to worship Him and praise Him...period. Is He really so concerned with how that is done? Maybe this is the rebel coming out in me, but I think God just wants us to loosen up and praise Him for all that he has done for us. Praise Him with the talents that He gave you. Whether it is singing, playing an instrument, acting, speaking...whatever. Praise God with that talent and He will be pleased. Leave the "anality" to the small things in life. Worship God without holding back. That's my goal, but I'm afraid I have a long way to go.