There is a Net: Part 2 (enter the Bear stage left)

As I was chewing on these things,
feeling the tightrope walker grow a bit bolder and stronger,
I saw arrows flying through the various circus rings
first a few at a time,
then a steady stream
and then I realized
some of them were coming at me,
actually aimed directly at me,
as is Something were out to get me
just as I was gaining a little confidence,
and the Fear began to creep in again.

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.  He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, "Destroy him!"  (Deuteronomy 33:27)

And I saw my Coach stand up to His full height as an enormous Grizzly Bear,
and every story I'd heard about "mama bears" suddenly culminated into this FEROCIOUS King beneath me.  He caught and splintered every arrow, except for the ones He flung back at the Attackers.  One of the Attackers came closer, and it seemed to me a hideous and impossible beast.  But when it neared the Bear it was dwarfed as an ant to a mountain, and my Papa Bear picked it up and flung it's writhing and annoying little self out beyond any distance I could imagine.

Summary of simple truths my brain needs to get a grip on:

Life is hard.

It is like a tightrope sometimes, maybe all of the time.

Some even call it a war zone.

Gravity is real, and we need help.

And we have it.

There is a net.

There is a coach.

There are arrows.

There are enemies.

And they are like ants to a mountain when compared to the Creator of all that is.

And our God is fiercer and more powerful 

than our most dramatic image of a mama bear defending her cub.  

He will break the enemy's bow and shatter his spear.  He will hurl him into the region of Darkness from whence there is no return.

God is our refuge and strength,

and EVER PRESENT HELP in times of trouble.

Therefore, we will not fear 

though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea. . . 

God is within her, she will not fall . . . 

Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. . . 

Come and see what He has done:

He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth.

He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.

He says, 

"BE STILL,

AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.

I will be exalted among the nations, 

I will be exalted in the earth."

The LORD Almighty is with us; 

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

(Excerpts from Psalm 46, NIV)

He will catch me when I stumble and put me back on the rope.

I can walk across.

I can run across.

I can sit down and have lunch on the net.

Some days I more than survive, I can even have fun on the net . . .

I am learning to dance, sing, and

 turn crazy triple flips on the net.

Because

My God.

MY God.

My GOD.

There is a Net: Part 1

Imagine a tightrope walker in rehearsal, wobbling across, every muscle and nerve trembling with raw fear.  The angst has a ripple effect for everyone in the room.  We are growing increasingly uncomfortable as we watch.  It's not the incompetence makes it so incredibly awkward.  It's the unharnessed anxiety morphing into panic that reverberates in all of us now,  every moment is cringe-worthy.  She is shaking and sweating uncontrollably.  We really don't want to watch..  This is more than performance anxiety.  It's like she's scared for her life.  As if falling wouldn't just be an embarrassment, it would be the end.  Of everything.

She is freaking out because she's forgotten,
or maybe I never knew . . .

There is a Net.  
A Very Strong Net.
And there is a Coach.  Calling out encouragement and truth.  But the walker can't hear Him.  She can't hear anything except the Fear, and it's eating her alive.

". . . Depending on Me may feel like walking on a tightrope, but there is a safety net underneath; the everlasting arms.  So don't be afraid of falling.  Instead, look ahead to Me.  I am always before you, beckoning you on--one step at a time.  Neither height not depth, nor anything else in all creation, can separate you from My loving Presence."  (January 21 in Jesus Calling by Sarah Young)

It stuck out to me when I read it, the line: "So don't be afraid of falling," . . .
FALLING IS NOT AN ACTUAL DANGER
not any more.
The reality:  There is nothing to fear.
The supposed feared object - falling, failing = ultimate tragedy, destruction, shame, whatever . . .
DOES NOT EXIST.
His Arms are TOO BIG, TOO ETERNAL, MORE PRESENT, MORE REAL than any possible or imagined misstep, mess, nonperformance, affliction, catastrophe, doom.

There is a net.
There is a Net.
My Father's Arms are REAL.  HERE.

I may stumble, but I will not
CAN NOT
fall.
Not ultimately in a cataclysmic sort of way.
It is outside the realm of possibility.
I am dwelling on things that no longer exist.

"The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.  Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand."  (Psalm 37:23-24, NLT)

Ultimate and final failure don't exist for me any longer.
This new freedom is not because of my skill, experience or performance,
but because
THE ETERNAL ALMIGHTY GOD holds my hand
and every inch of my being.
(Re the Psalm above, in case you're wondering who the "godly" are.  I am godly only because Christ sacrificed His life to share His godliness with me.  Still trying to get my head around this.  I am definitely not, nor is anyone else, innately godly of my own doing.)

If you are a follower of Jesus, if you have put your trust in Him, you wear his Godliness, His Name, His Death and HIS RESURRECTION
and you are listening to Fear
Sweet dear fellow Christian (little Christ)
Brother or Sister
You are listening to a Lie.
LIE.
FOR THE CHILD OF GOD, FEAR IS A DELUSION.

FEAR = DELUSION

Because

IN CHRIST THERE IS 

NOTHING TO FEAR.

This is not a figurative, positive-thinking, self-help kind of statement.
This is a declaration of reality . . . similar to:  the Earth is round.
There is NOTHING IN EXISTENCE that can ultimately harm the person who trusts in Jesus.
Romans 8!

Now about that Coach, moving on to Part 2 . . . 

when the Rain releases you

the way Rain runs all over your soul

and restores strains and sores you can't even describe

a gentle Roar

water falling down

                     down

                     down

                     

                     down

    

  

                     Down

                     to the Earth for us

drop upon drop upon drop upon drop

the way Rain helps you BREATHE,

pause, listen

and breathe some more

the way God pours His Rain all over us

healing

restoring

quenching

repairing

nourishing

washing

relieving

grace upon grace upon grace upon grace

reprieve

cease-fire

pitter patter falling down

                               down

                               down

                               down

                               down

                               down

  

                               Down

                               to the Earth in us

trickling down into the deepest places

even the hidden places

the seemingly small places

that need big healing

settling into my bones

my very bones

Christ in me now, the hope of glory

And the things that have battered hard against me

pulled down strong on me

attempting to

poison me

imprison me

shame me

sicken me

suck me under

steal my hope

strangle my joy

pommel me to a pulp and cause me to cry out:
"Where is my God?"

until I am sprawling and wondering which way is up, and do I really care any more?

They have been washed away.

Drowned down to wear they belong.

They have been told,

"RELEASE!"

And they are no more.

And I am resting, resting resting.

(In recovery?)

Released.

“He provides rain for the earth; he sends water on the countryside.”  (Job 5:10)

"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.  . . . Therefore we DO NOT LOSE HEART. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly WE ARE BEING RENEWED day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all."  (2 Corinthians 4: 8-10, 16-17)

“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is GREATER than the one who is in the world.”  (1 John 4:4)

“The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he WILL NOT FALL, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.” (Psalm 37:23-24)

“God is within her, she WILL NOT FALL. . . . Be still and know that I AM GOD."  (Psalm 46:5, 10) 

“They waited for me as for showers and drank in my words as the spring rain.”  (Job 29:23)

God's love sounds like . . .

If you've ever wondered what God's love for you sounds like . . . 

I heard The Piano Guys perform this last night in Kansas City.  The entire concert was beauty and power that I don't presently have words for.  They have truly tapped into something Divine.  They covered this song, "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri, which was a highlight for me.  I'd heard it before, but not being a Twilight fan or very big into pop culture ;-) I didn't really know it.  It is a simple and lovely melody.  They covered it with such art and tenderness and I knew in a few seconds that it was God singing to me.  Balm to this anxious heart.

The idea of God singing to or over us is really meaningful to me.  But I have to strain to hear it sometimes.  He sang through the performance last night and I knew more of His true, enduring, tender and deep love for me.  So I looked up the lyrics of the original when I got home and here's what I found in the refrain:
"Darling don't be afraid I have loved you for a thousand years,
I'll love you for a thousand more."  

Hmm . . . pretty much what He's been saying to me recently.  I've been very aware and humbled by my brokenness and confess to still doubting if He can put up with me at times.  So the lyrics further  confirmed God's message to me.   But I believe my Savior's love goes on for a bit more than a thousand years.  So I listened to the song with these words in mind:
"Darling don't be afraid 
I have loved you for all of time,
I'll love you forever more."


"I've never quit loving you and never will.  Expect love, love and more love!"  
(Jeremiah 31:3, MSG)

"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindess."  
(Jeremiah 31:3, NIV)

"The LORD your God is with you.  He is mighty to save.
The LORD your God takes delight in you.  He will calm you with His love.
He will rejoice over you with singing."  (Zephaniah 3:17)

What does God's love for YOU sound like?  What helps you "hear" it?  Does this song?  Another?  Sitting under a tree?  Walking in the rain?  Please do share.  We must share these things with one another.  Sharing the truth God is working in you will 
help establish it in your heart and mind, 
and may just be 
the morsel someone else desperately hungers for today.

breakfast.

"I'm going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.  Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.  He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”  “No,” they answered.

He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.”When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.  Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 

Now there are a lot of cool things in this passage . . . A LOT.  But the one that stuck out to me the morning that I read it is coming up, keep reading.

The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.  Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.”None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead. (John 21:3-14)

Do you see it?  Jesus made breakfast.  I know I know, many other topics for consideration here.  But I'm so drawn to this one.  Jesus made breakfast!  I think that is so wonderful.  I love food.  I love it when others fix it for me.  A meal is an important thing for me.  For many reasons.  

The Creator God, Crucified and Risen, LORD of Lords, King of Kings, and we could say more . . . MADE BREAKFAST.  I think that is soooo cool.  The disciples were tired.  They were hungry.  They'd been up all night.  They may have still been in shock over the events of the past few weeks . . . events that we are used to hearing about now and have familiar religious titles for like: "Transfiguration,"  "Triumphant Entry,"  "The Last Supper," "The Crucifixion,"  The Resurrection," . . .  one of those alone might throw my entire system into chaos.  And these guys are just out trying to take care of the daily grind, catch some darn fish and provide a meal for their families.  They can't.  They don't.  And then Jesus shows up and brings them a miracle.  Provides for their daily needs.  And gets breakfast ready.

God

makes

breakfast.

I want to have something profound to say about that.  I want to glean some spiritual truth or mystery that changes my life or at least my day, and yours too ;-) I'm sure it's there and more than one brilliant person has written about it.  But all I can process right now is the raw fact:  Jesus made breakfast.  And that comforts me somehow.

I don't know why.  
Maybe because I get really tired sometimes.
And I'm hungry, or at least think I am, most of the time.
Even after Jesus miraculously comes through for me.
I'm still tired and hungry.
It's the human condition, right?
We need food and sleep every day, even after lovely miraculous successful days.
Maybe especially then?

Jesus makes breakfast.
And I'm so relieved.
Reassured.
Loved.

That's it.  I think?  I think that's why it does something for me.  It speaks of His love for me. To know that my Savior will prepare a meal for me.  Serve me.  Nourish me.  Take care of my daily needs. Not just my big crisis everything falling apart moments.  But that He will take care of today.  He feeds me.  Body, mind and spirit.

Jesus Christ, Son of God, came down from heaven, put aside His Divinity, and walked on earth to teach, heal, defeat sin and death

and make breakfast.

And it's a good thing, because I'm pretty darn hungry most of the time.

on a cold Spring day

Snow.
On the first day of Spring.

I am thankful for this.
     quietly.  some might mug me for saying such things.

Yes, something about this is just so nice. 
     It beckons quiet.  space.  rest.
     And I still need that.  those.  still.

But also

It whispers truth that I desperately need to hear today:

Things are not always as they seem.

Present circumstances

    do not sum up Truth.

It looks like Winter.

It is not.

It is March 21.

It is the Vernal Equinox.

I don't care what it looks like, feels like, sounds like, tastes like . . .

The Season is Changing.

Today is cold, wet, grey.

But today is not the Last Word.

Things are trending warmer

     brighter

     newer

     whether it looks that way today

     or not.

It is Spring.

     The Now and the Not Yet.

The calendar says so.

And we Know so.

     Because this moment is not in charge,

     God is.

And He brings Spring

     Every.  Year.

     No matter how long and far It's cold hard hand reaches

     He always brings Spring.

     Always.

And so Truth keeps the Fire Lit

    In this otherwise cold heart

     And Hope burns out Despair today

and I am toasty warm

on a cold, Spring day.

(and I shellac some shimmery defiant coral hope onto my toes and declare to those lovely, lacy, stubborn flakes: Spring is coming.  Spring is here.)

"Look! I am doing a new thing . . ."


What truths are keeping your fire lit today?  C'mon and tell the rest of us!
Sometimes we need to help each other stoke those fires.

There's a ladle in our bed

 

 

There's a ladle in our bed

There's an airplane in our kitchen

A mailbox in my bathroom

And a baseball I could mention

Saw a school bus in the basement

with singing frogs inside

And a soft small brown rabbit

on the table just beside

I see plastic lids all over

multiplying in every room

I think something's going on here

Is it maybe a full moon?

I keep cleaning I keep straightening

Sweeping crumbs up off the floor

There are hundreds there are thousands

Feels a sneaky relentless war

I am making no visible progress

Dost mine eyes detect a clue?

Pink elf with salad tongs

Dancing in front of the mirror

Signs of life invade and grace us . . .

There's a toddler living here!