Monday, August 30, 2010

AT THE END OF OUR ROPE

In my old life I had a knack of making life too difficult; way too difficult.  I would worry if I noticed I had nothing to worry about.  Neurosis was my sidekick; my daily companion.

Relax was something for sissies.  Peace was Relax' cousin.  Joy was a girl.  Rest seemed...well sort of lazy; undisciplined and certainly uncommitted.

Fret and concern and anxiety!  Now there was a man's mantra!

But God came into my picture and burst most of my ideals like worry...and anxiety...and busy-ness.  He had me read of His past; those moments when a widow was down to a drop of oil in a jar.  Or, how about the time the snotty-nosed kid wanted to play war-games with the Big Thug from the county next door?  And then there was that Gideon guy whose army was skinned down to silliness in both count and instruction....AND YET WON!

But God....   Yes, God ruins education, reason, and organization.  That is precisely why He is avoided or ignored or both.  He disrupts disruption and set it on its ear.  God is able...says the Word.  It never says we are.  It is firm He is.

We make faith too difficult.  The question is can He get this humanity living to breathe freely as it mobilizes from day to day and the answer is DYNAMICALLY YES!  GOD CAN!!!!!

Once I began to cease the fight for explanation and simply enjoy the truth that He is unchartably mysterious, a new world (that new creation) broke open.  I love it.  I absolutely love it.  He can do more with my weakness than I can with seven of my strengths (assuming I possess seven). 

I really like life.  It is new to me because I've learned to quit trying to run it.  God does; not me....one time.  I once made faith just too difficult.  But now I like peace....and rest....and joy....and relax.  It turns out those aren't sissy traits.  Few men are strong enough to embrace them....until one day we wonderfully run out of our own rope.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

"...God ruins education, reason, and organization. That is precisely why He is avoided or ignored or both."

Sadly, we miss out on so much because we want to run the show and fail to let the Master do His thing. Why is that so alien to us?

Jay

Stoned-Campbell Disciple said...

Terry thank you. I really like life too. Each is a day is a gift of grace to be celebrated not endured. Though I have sometimes forgotten that.

Shalom,
Bobby Valentine