Why Jesus?

My friend Val from highshcool died on Easter weekend. She left behind her 16 year old daughter, her mom, her 3 siblings and her wife.
My friend Kathy gave the eulogy beautifully. She talked about the stages of Val's life. When she became a Christian, when she became a mother, when she realized that she was gay, when she discovered alternate forms of spirituality, when she married her wife and finally when she "met her maker" and how all of these choices taught her (Kathy) to be tolerant of people's choices because it was their life journey.
Our Pastor spoke on Sunday about how everyone's invited to "the party". Jesus includes everyone, we're all invited. A wonderful message. It made me think of the kids that my son goes to school with, the ones that get into trouble and you don't want your kids to hang out with.
My son did...last Friday. He learned so much about them and had compassion for them and it made me want to bring them all home, and be their mom.
The message made me think of Val too and how she had been invited to "the party" and went and was included. I wonder if it was Jesus that she decided not to follow or just His followers.
It seems that following the followers messes people up. Why did we become Christians anyway? To be apart of a group? To feel included by our peers? I think sometimes we lose our focus on Jesus and start looking at the people around us and what they're doing. Who are we following?
I really knew who I was following when I understood how sinful I was and that I didn't deserve to be forgiven but Jesus forgave me anyway and died for me. It means that I have to look at my sin and recognize that I need forgiveness, not just once, but many times. That's hard to do. I can understand why someone wouldn't want to do that, that's not easy. Isn't it easier to look around and say "well, at least I'm not as bad as her" or insist that there's nothing wrong with you, everyone will just have to accept who you are, the way you are.
It reminded me of what the winner of "The Biggest Loser" said. He said that it was hard to lose the weight that he lost but it's even harder to continue in his changed lifestyle and keep it off.
It shouldn't be that difficult. Jesus loves us! And when we go to Him the shame is but a moment in time, because there's so much love. But even knowing that we still can convince ourselves that we're not worth it, that it's too hard. It made me start to wonder why other religions are easier to be a part of. Are they? If, in that moment that you excepted Jesus, there was someone saying that another path was the reason to live or change your life, would you take it?
Why choose Jesus over everything else? And why would you turn away after knowing Him? Thoughts to ponder...