A Walk Out of the Woods:
My Journey Out of Performance-Based Religion
by Cindy Wade LeMoine
When we are able to give with no expectations, to serve absent praise or applause, and to love extravagantly, as God has loved us, only then will we begin to walk in His purpose and not our own.
- We are incapable of doing this in our own strength. We must rely on the leading of the Holy Spirit.
- This is what hurting people need to see. It is the reflection of Christ in us.
It shines through our weaknesses and imperfections into the darkness of a lost world. These things are accomplished in our everyday lives.
Love,
Cindy
Why I wrote it:
This book is a journaling of my time spent in scripture as I made my way out of performance-based religion and into rest in relationship with my Savior. All of my life I heard rules on how to live a Christian life. They were thrown about as though they were scripture, but were often scripture taken out of context. Those rules, and much incorrect theology, kept me bound and kept me quiet. I am thankful that God has forgiven me for the heavy burdens that I have placed on others over the years because you pass on what you learn. I had to dig into the Word and relearn who He is and how He loves me.
I hope you are encouraged!
Who the Book is For:
This book is for women who need encouragement in their faith; who need to be encouraged to read the Word of God and to rightly divide the Word of God. I want to encourage women to look to the Word for healing and place Jesus first-before anyone else. Only then do we have all we need to meet the needs of those around us within the framework of healthy boundaries. Lastly, we are all called to share the Gospel, so we do that in whatever way the Lord has gifted us to do. For me that is through the artistry of photography, the joy of writing, and the power of the scriptures. What about you? What do you love to do? What captures your imagination and touches your heart? That may very well be where your gifts lie!
I pray that the women who read my book begin to sense that their identity is not rooted in who they are, how they look, or in all they do. Their identity is in knowing the One who created them and gave them breath and life. Their identity is in One Savior, One Advocate, One Hero, One King, and His name is Jesus Christ. He is Faithful and True. He is the Word of God. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Identity.
Letting Go of the Lie… Embracing the Truth
My Story Behind the Book
There is the wound that requires only an antiseptic cleanser. We clean it off, jump up and go about our day. We forget about it. There is the wound that requires a little more attention; maybe cleansing, a topical antibiotic and a band-aid. We are aware of the injury and we protect it but in a short amount of time it heals just fine. Sometimes we experience a deep wound that pierces the superficial and causes damage to muscle and bone. The doctor binds it up for healing but we eventually have issues with it; month after month then year after year. We look okay on the outside but it never seems to right itself or completely heal. We are always aware of it, don’t know quite what to do about it and it affects our lives negatively. Eventually surgery may be in order to correct what is so wrong beneath the surface that we struggle daily with focus, productivity, being positive, and moving forward in a healthy state. This old wound affects every aspect of our lives and, at some point, we just want it fixed. For most of us surgery is a decision that we never want to consider. The choice requires faith that our doctor will get us through it. Not only that, we know that afterwards there may be physical therapy which requires work and more pain, but is necessary for our journey to wholeness.
Now let’s think about these examples in terms of our wounded souls.
There are some different ways that we become wounded and we may carry those old wounds into our present lives. My plan was to write this for people who have grown up in abusive and violent environments but the reality is that no one is exempt. There has never been a perfect family and there has been only one perfect person. Could it be healthy for each of us to look at what we were taught growing up and compare it to God’s Word. What does He say is true and right? It could be argued that the notion seems a bit overwhelming. How do we start this process and refrain from drowning in self-indulgence and unproductive thinking? Well, we look at the big picture of our lives. What areas continue to cause us to struggle with others? I believe that unresolved conflict with others is simply a reflection of unresolved conflict within ourselves and toward God. Now, there is always conflict. The answer is in how we choose to resolve it. Do we ignore it? Do we attempt to resolve it through our own strength or do we trust God to do it in us and for us? The answer makes the difference.
As a young woman, God led me to reject all that I had learned about life, love, and people. Some of us need to, “start over from scratch” as they say. He began to move me in a different direction. I always knew that He had a unique plan for my life and, although I continued to make wrong decisions for some time, I was always aware that He was leading me along His path and I desperately wanted to be on His path. In this continuing process of healing and growth, God has been gracious to give back to me memories of some beautiful moments with my family. I treasure those times that I can remember and appreciate in the light of forgiveness and mercy.
I also began to question what I saw in church. I am forever thankful for the people who led me to Christ and yet I recognized that sometimes we express more passion for our denominations and for those rules and regulations than we do for living the two righteous commandments to love God and to love others. This is legalism and my experience has been that legalism is spiritually oppressive. It blunts our ability to love, it stunts discipleship, it makes us doubt our faith and it divides believers. Over the years God has reminded me of all the beautiful and deep things I brought away from that tiny church so many years ago. I treasure them.
My point in all of this is that to truly heal and grow, we sometimes have to dig deep and let God perform surgery on our deepest thoughts and beliefs about life. It requires faith; recovery hurts but some wounds simply will not heal if we just leave them alone. Every time I write, I pray that God would send these words even to one person who is hurting and needs encouragement to heal. I have lived the issues I write about and I am committed to sharing the results of all that God has done in my life. My desire to encourage others to greater physical, emotional, and spiritual health. I trust that He sends it where it is needed.
“Sometimes we must let go of everything we have learned about life, love, and people. Only then can God teach us all that is true and right.”
- Cindy Wade LeMoine
I wrote this many years ago and though I had lived them, they were prophetic toward the next ten years or so of my life and all that I would come to terms with in the realm of religion.
My book, “A Walk Out of the Woods: My Journey out of Performance-Based Religion was a direct result of those years.
About the Author
Cindy Wade LeMoine
Hi, my name is Cindy Wade LeMoine. I am a wife, mother, and Grammy to two beautiful grandchildren, Sawyer and Amelia. I have lived in Fairhope, Alabama for the past thirty-six years. I have been married to my husband, Tracy LeMoine for that same length of time.
I have a background in physical fitness and have held certifications in Aerobics (AFAA), Step Aerobics (AFAA), Personal Training (ACE), Health Coach (ACE), and Zumba. I have a BS in Physical Education from the University of South Alabama.
I was a small business owner for ten years-Patient Request Medical Uniforms in Daphne, Alabama-where I met many women who were beautiful, interesting, resilient, and strong. It was after I closed the business due to an illness that I began to write and that led into the story of the last ten plus years.
The last several years have been some of the most joyful, as I have helped to take care of my grandchildren, and some of the most heart-wrenching years as I have walked through the process of deconstructing my faith.
This book is a compilation of scripture and photographs that my Heavenly Father led me to create as I walked through the darkness, depression, fear, and finally a rebuilding of my faith. Failing, flailing, and falling; but, by the grace of God, getting back up. I pray these pages encourage you.
