Came across this quote in my reading and thought it hit very close to home with my experience in leaving the church. What I lost in make believe blessings I gained in connection to my fellow human beings and to myself. Oddly enough, this seems more Christlike than what I learned in the church.

"All we ask is to be allowed to remain the writers of our own story. That story is ever changing. Over the course of our lives, we may encounter unimaginable difficulties. Our concerns and desires may shift. But whatever happens, we want to retain the freedom to shape our lives in ways consistent with our character and loyalties. This is why the betrayals of body and mind that threaten to erase our character and memory remain among our most awful tortures. The battle of being mortal is the battle to maintain the integrity of one's life-to avoid becoming so diminished or dissipated or subjugated that who you are becomes disconnected from who you were or who you want to be."

Atul Gawande - Being Mortal