I thought about titling this post "Sitemeter Is A Big Fat Liar" but that might not be entirely true, because it might be individual servers that are the liars. I have made a grave, grave mistake (actually many, but I want to keep this short, so I'll focus on one). In my general perusing of my site stats, I assumed that I had very few readers who actually knew me. There were some I could pinpoint as individuals, but I mistakenly assumed that because I didn't know anyone in various little near and far towns, that the readers whose servers were there, were strangers to me. My mistake then was using little bits, examples, and observations to build up a question or idea I was posting about -- which, when familiar people read about, made it look clearly like I had deep judgments about specific people, places, and events. I then let a general issue veer into a specific example (modesty), which in my mind served as a place for detailed discussion of the larger topic (loving others without giving the impression to my children that I approved of all things related to those others), but was again taken as specific judgments against others.
Anon, I thought I knew who you were last night, but now I think you are someone else. I am not going to publish the 3 or 4 most previous comments because I don't think they'd be edifying to my general readership (which some, at least, are not local parties). That said, without publishing them I am unable to see which parts of the 'old letter' are in italics. If it is important to you that I know which parts you wrote previously and which are new thoughts, please email them to me. I would be grateful for the chance to 'fill in the blanks' - that is, explain in detail the stupid examples I have given in the other posts, because there are areas where you seemed to have assumed incorrectly. I would also be grateful to know who you are, exactly.
I'm sure I'm not the first blogger to learn this lesson! I am not even sure what the bottom line should be. I have felt free to share deep concerns of my heart, mistakenly assuming the anonymity would protect myself and others, but that has proven folly. To whomever reads this: I do not wish to judge anyone!!! I am muddling through trying to parent my children, by God's grace, to the best I am able, and there is so much I just don't know. My "judgments" here were only meant to illustrate the questions in my heart. Not point to any person and claim betterment over them. Forgive me if I walked this line badly.
1 comment:
Dear Ellajac,
I wish I had a means to tell you this in private, but perhaps you have a reader who needs to hear it anyway. I am very shocked and dismayed to see the comments left to you by "Anon," on your modesty post. I cannot believe that someone would be so vindictive and harsh. I just want you to know that I do not think anything you wrote about was un-Christian, JUDGEMENTAL, or gossiping either.
A question was posted mostly concerning a PARENTING issue that involved spiritually immature children and how to answer their questions. Having a young child myself, and finding this issue becoming harder to deal with, I knew exactly what you meant. (To quote Anon, "your 6 year old should be able to understand that." Are you serious? Is any 6 year old spiritually mature enough to answer all of their own questions Biblically?!)
I also know what it is like to be on the other side of the fence, before figuring out what God actually required of me about modesty. I wish someone had informed me what my wardrobe or actions could be doing to some young men in the church! I would have been so embarassed! And rightly so!!
This is YOUR blog, readers are not forced to subscribe/partake/etc. This is not the 6 o'clock news, it's a semi-private journal. You try very hard to maintain your privacy, and it's completely rude and immature for someone to take that and run with it. I just want you to know I will pray for you about this situation, and that I cannot find a single thing out-of-line with what you wrote.
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