Funhouse 'Fun'

In your mind’s eye, look for a little boy at the fair, cotton candy in hand, uncontrollable giggles. Is his hair sandy colored, jet black, curly, in desperate need of a comb? Is he tall? Well dressed or wearing the t-shirt he slept in last night?

Now that you’ve got a vivid picture in your mind, take him over to the funhouse. Watch as he snatches his hand from the ticket taker and runs headlong into the mirrored halls, squealing with delight.

He’s bobbing and weaving, running into mirror after mirror, filling the halls with his robust laughter. He sees the reflections of other children as they make their way through the maze. His first time in the funhouse proves to be the time of his life, pleasure that’s addicting.

Dad waits patiently outside, watching child after child after child go in and come out – yet his son remains inside. Occasionally the boy laughs so loud; dad knows he’s okay.

Eventually the laughter subsides. Though it’s been fun, he panics looking for the way out that has to be there. Sitting down, the boy concedes, trapped in the mirrors and yells, “I have to live in here forever?”

Unbeknownst to him, dad has come into the funhouse. Reaching out to him, taking his hand and lifting him to his feet, they exit the mirrored halls easily.

Hebrews 11:25 tells us there is pleasure in sin - for a season. We wind up trapped in the sin, convinced there’s no way out. God has already come to where we are, yes, He’s stepping into our world of sin, to take us by the hand, lift us up and lead us safely out.

*Genesis 19:16 When he hesitated, the men (angels of God) grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them.

*Genesis 21:18 Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”

*Exodus 13:14 …‘With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out…of the land of slavery.’

*Mark 9:27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

Stopping to Ask Directions...

Still searching for direction; sometimes I still feel like I’m flopping around in life for my purpose in this empty nest stage. Silly, I know, considering my children have been out of the house for over a decade already. Yet there are days I weep for days gone by instead of reaching forward to the best that’s yet to come. If I were someone else, I can just imagine the honest heart-to-heart counsel I’d want to give…. There are times encouragement has to come slowly and tenderly. This is not one of those times. It’s been more than ten years since our last child flew the coop. There’s no more ‘slowly and tenderly’ approaching the subject.

So, what now God? If I’m left idle and to my own devices, that can only mean trouble. Depression lurks at my door. Apathy has seeped into the crevices I’d thought long sealed shut. This is not a good thing. But this is an opportunity for the community of love surrounding me to lend their godly counsel. Be blunt. Be assertive. I’m beyond being content to hear: You’ll be okay… Time heals all… Don’t worry; God’s got a plan – just be patient. Don’t be so hard on yourself….

Don’t get me wrong. The last ten years haven’t been a waste of breath, lives around me are constantly changing, there are always needs to be met. I don’t just want to ‘do something’ – I want to walk in God’s perfect plan for my life, fulfilling my destiny and glorifying Him at every turn.

Perhaps you’ve just indulged me in a momentary pity-party. Forgive me. All of the focus and purpose and listening I’ve been writing about lately has been for my own sake.

Easier said than done; I admit it. To quote Frazier, "I’m listening."

Proverbs 27:9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel. (KJV)

Who Are You Hurting?

I was listening to a country song today and thinking about the people in my life that it reminded me of and wrote down:
‘How long will you continue to hurt people before you finally give in?’
‘How long will you walk around wounded before you receive healing that’s yours for the asking?’

The more we hurt the people in our lives, the less we feel like we deserve not only their love – but God’s love, too. The more unworthy we feel, the more the devil thinks the victory is his. And in general, I believe we hurt people because we ourselves are wounded.

Have you ever seen a toddler fall and scrape his knee and scream like he broke his leg? One kiss or cuddle from Mom makes it as though no injury occurred at all. Once she got his attention and calmed him down everything was suddenly okay. The scrape was still there – but somehow the loving arms of Mommy made it not matter.

So many people are praying for you – perhaps hundreds or more whom you’ve never even met. God’s loving arms are waiting – patiently, for however long it takes to embrace you when you start to run to Him. He doesn’t even make you cover the gulf that’s grown between you. This reminds me of the old song ‘When God Ran’. Just as Mom lovingly runs to her injured child, God wants to scoop you up into His loving arms and heal your wounds. But just as that injured toddler can run screaming from his mother in a fit of rage or temper tantrum, we too can run from God.

But my injury is far worse than a scraped knee!

And God is much more powerful than any mother……

How long will you run? Who will you destroy as they get in your path?

James 5:16 The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (KJV)
We're praying for you.

Ezer - Help or Hindrance?

Going back a few blog posts I wrote a little about what an ezer is created to be. When God created our world, He saw that everything was good – the only thing that was not good, was for man to be alone, without one of his kind. God created the woman as the man’s ezer; his helpmate and so much more. The woman was created, as was the man, to bear God’s image in this world. Both men and women are created in God’s image – we are His masterpiece. Working together with each other, we more perfectly bear God’s image. When we war against each other, we mar His image.

Though men are traditionally the protectors, women have a protective nature and role as well. Along-side the men in our lives, we are called to fight. We are not called to fight against our men or to fight against our children. We are not called to chase after elusive battles that demand our attention, such as the battle of the bulge or the fight to keep up with the Joneses or even battles for equality. We are called to fight the good fight of faith. (1 Timothy 6:12 KJV)

This past weekend I had to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. In an attempt to ‘help’ my mate – I stepped on his toes. In order to help and not hinder the man I’m called most to stand beside, I have to be careful not to create little battles that can blind us to what we’re really fighting for. Satan rejoices when we get side-tracked and chase after pink elephants that aren’t really even there, instead of donning the full armor of God and pulling down strongholds and vain thoughts and every high thing that exalts itself against God.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (KJV) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ

Ezer Part 3

Any one we wish to receive love from is potentially in a very powerful place. We give them the keys to unlock the essence of what’s in our hearts, hoping to exchange with them the phenomenal source of life: love. But love is not always returned. Trust is often laughed at, behind our backs until the charade is revealed. Whether it’s a playground playmate that betrays our friendship or our first love that betrays our trust; the hurt our hearts suffer seems insurmountable. We learn to trust again, either out of hope or desperation. Someone comes along and sends out the signal that they can be trusted with our heart. Or someone comes into our life that challenges us to reach into their heart to love them. A knowing that there’s a place in them that needs to be caressed – and a place in us that needs to be filled.

I want to back up for just a moment to my opening greeting, which may have been puzzling. When God created man, He created us male and female. The female part was, in the original Hebrew, called the ezer. An ezer is one shaped to harmoniously fit together with the male part, but created to be his strong, warrior ally; the part of him that fights for him when he is weak or chooses not to battle himself. Together they can successfully bear the image of God and advance His kingdom. Nothing can frustrate our common enemy more, so he perpetually seeks to destroy the union between man and his ezers. To look at our society we find proof enough to see that the battle of the sexes rages forcefully.

We ezers often want independence and to tout superiority over the man instead of coming along side of man and stand in battle with him. Being fifty years old, I’ve encountered men along side of whom I would choose not to stand. But those are not the men that God has called me and created me to stand with. Through the years too, Satan has regularly lied to me and tried to tear me away from the man God created me to stand with. Praise be to God, Satan’s strategies, though powerful and hurt-filled, have not succeeded.

To be continued again....