When God’s a Knocking
Today on Skirts Up Samantha and Melissa share their fail of week per usual, but this time it's a fail as a whole. One had expectations the other had questions, neither things being shared with each other. People who closely know Samantha or have worked with her in the past know that one of her biggest flaws is, to put it simply, expecting people to read her mind through a method of madness. Samantha needs structure and takes it upon herself to create a show outline for each episode. Episodes are never scripted but once there is a topic chosen, Samantha writes out the flow of key points to hit and reminders or suggestions for each speaker. All Melissa knows when she looks at these notes is that she’s the color green. The notes for today’s episode had been created and submitted to Melissa to add notes of her own if she had any so Melissa does just THAT. Picks a spot in the outline and writes all the questions she wants to ask during the episode in green. Except now the outline made no sense and if they went along in that order this conversation would have been a discombobulated dumpster fire.
When Melissa saw the outline before recording she was really confused because her questions had been moved around throughout the outline and most of them were now in black. Melissa was relieved to see that the outline appeared to have direction but was confused on what she was supposed to do in the first place. Don’t you worry though! Everyone now understands how to read and write these notes so that you amazing followers can enjoy listening or reading to all the shenanigans they’ve got in store for you and the positive outcome is strengthening communication.
Now let's get to the good stuff. Megan Barr guest speaks in this episode for exactly as it sounds. Her God spoke to her loud and clear now she challenges herself to comply. Megan is a sweet soul with a serving heart. She talks about the nonlinear journey of becoming a mature Christian through the analogy of a triangle. God is the top of the triangle and the base is your spouse and children. However, it’s important to remember that that triangle can rotate and still be a triangle. The triangle can be acute, obtuse, or the perfect right angle but it will continue to shift. Megan admits she struggles with obtaining that perfect Christian triangle as she knows she tends to put her family first. But guess what, THAT’S OK!
One day Megan is driving and she hears the loudest, most direct voice in her head telling her to stop and call the number on a vacant store front. She had lightly toyed around with the idea of one day combining her passion of thrifting and serving into an affordable clothing shop for the community, but that was a future goal. This voice was so strong that she did just as it said. She called the number, got the astronomical price of rent, said good day, and continued on. The voice just wouldn’t stop. It was leading her to open a show now.
To Megan there is no other way to explain what she was hearing and feeling other than it was God himself speaking to her. But what was she supposed to do? All the research she had done showed that, yes she could do it. She has the passion, the faith, and entrepreneurial power in her bones but this could financially destroy her family. Finally she asked the most mature Christian she knew, “ What do you do when God is leading you to do something that could wreck you?” The answer was, “ You say YES!”
With lots of time spent researching best options, Megan came across a business called Uptown Cheapskate and it checked all the boxes. Christian roots and serves people in more ways than one. Uptown Cheapskate is an upscale clothing thrift store for young women that offers franchise opportunities where they guide you through the entire process of business planning, training, financial tracking and so much more for a year. All great things, of course for a price. You can read her business plan and progress made on her Go Fund Me page that was created to help with the funds to break ground. This dream isn’t just a way to support her family. It’s a way to support her community in Walton County Georgia. The area does not currently have easy access to affordable clothes. If she can get this store front up and going she will have highly discounted clothing for purchase but also the ability to gift interview clothes, prom dresses, winter coats, to people in the community as needed.
In the meantime she is running an online shop called Sparrow Lily. All items for sale were donated to this cause and all proceedings go towards the goal of a store front. Within a year Megan will have a store brought to the community one way or another.
Her story is incredibly moving when you read and listen to her speak about it so I highly encourage you to check this out further. With its strong religious backing, of course Samantha and Melissa have questions. One of them being, how do you know this is God and not your own personal intuition? Melissa was born and raised Mormon. She made the decision to leave the community in her late 20’s. She remembers hearing and feeling what she believed to be God’s voice, using it as her guide in Christianity. Today Melissa believes that voice to be, and to have always been, her own personal intuition guiding her along the way. She finds peace and beauty in this ability. Just like Megan, Melissa also has a servant heart that she follows in her own ways as much as she can.
Samantha challenges Megan with questions of what it means to be a Christian and who is a Christain. Are Mormons also Christians? From Samantha’s view, one goes to church and you’re told to tithe to serve God and be a Christian. You’re told to love everyone but if they don’t follow the beliefs of the church you are in, they are going to Hell. It doesn’t matter who you help and how you give, you are not a Christian unless you look, feel, and do as you’re told. Samantha isn’t sure that she wants to fit in a box that tight. She doesn’t know that she wants to believe in an eternity where people who do fit in this box celebrate in heaven while those who don’t suffer in a Hell. Why would you want to believe in tiers of Heaven and where you go after death depends on the level of Christian you are? Who’s to judge this? These beliefs feel like the closed mindedness she strives to move away from.
Melissa confirms that Mormons are considered a Christian faith system as many other religions do as well. Megan gracefully rises to the challenge of what being a Christian really is. In her words, it boils down to this; “Do you believe that Jesus died for your sins and have you asked Jesus into your heart?” She says, “ I do NOT believe in disliking or not loving someone because you are of a different faith.” “ There are many different denominations that will meet in Heaven.” She says, “being a Christian business owner is just as secular as it is religious because you can’t run a solely religious business.” She hopes that through her business she can bring people closer to Jesus but it does not affect how she thinks or looks at anyone who crosses her path. She makes it very clear on the Podcast that she wants people to be who they truly are and can only ask to be heard and accepted for who she is.
In Megan’s eyes, the best way to bring people to Jesus is through testimony. Megan shares her deeply personal testimony with all of us in this episode of Skirts Up. Before Megan met her husband she was engaged to another man. Her wedding day was quickly approaching when she found that her fiancé had been unfaithful. She was devastated and immediately called her bridesmaids to cancel their wedding plans. Megan was unable to soothe herself enough for sleep until finally a random blanket of calmness came over her and she slept great. Little did she know, her best friend had posted on social media for prayers of healing to be sent to comfort Megan during a devastating time. Megan believes with her whole heart it was the power of prayers in that moment that gave her the strength and comfort she needed.
Following the canceled engagement, Megan learned of a heart condition she had developed that required operation. She endured these challenges alone, solidifying her decision to end the relationship. Megan knows this was meant to happen all along because she explains how it led her to her current husband, her soulmate. How else would you explain two people who have experienced the same exact heartbreak days before their wedding, found each other?
We encourage you to take a listen to this episode on your favorite listening app as it goes into so much depth on differences of faith. You can also listen right here on our website! Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and leave a review.
