I was reading a great book on the flight back to MN Sunday called Foreign to Familiar (by Sarah A. Lanier) but in my life recently I feel like things have gone familiar to foreign!

It's always a surprise to find out you assumed wrong about what people think or believe~ I assumed wrong a few times about what people were struggling with, and so did they.

Mostly, I've been going through a lot of theology struggles. But I found that my mom was going through struggles with more cultural and life practice things. When she saw me stop doing much of the cultural practices she was going back and forth with she assumed that was also my struggle and that I was violently opposed to it from now on. I was confused because I knew she had struggled with the same theological issues in other churches and would never think about getting back into such a mindset again. After listening to her tell me about all the horrible fears she had about the future with me being against her customs I noticed she never mentioned actual theology.

I kept telling her I never said those things, I wasn't going to glare at her for doing these customs when I am not, and that I love her. Later on that night she was asking me about what I thought was so bad about this and that and I started telling her about the false teachings people had been telling me. She didn't believe people really thought that way around us but I had many instances and stories to share. (unfortunately) I told her to ask around and she'd find the same sentiment being taught and believed.

This morning I found a magazine on the kitchen table with a note from my Dad on the white board about the false teachings I had picked up on and he said I was right and pointed out a page in the magazine that coincided with what I had been telling my Mom.

It's hard to see something from right under your nose so close to yet so far from the truth.