Time to Grow Up

Deuteronomy 31:6, "Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who is with you. He will not fail or forsake you."

So this thing call Christianity is in reality relationship with God. And like any other relationship on earth it goes through phases. Or should I say, we go through phases because God is an unchanging perfect manifestation of pure love. So in the light of relationship, the last several months for me can be expressed this way.

I woke up one day, looked around and felt God walking off in another direction. Now of course He never changed directions, it was me finally waking up to the fact that I had veered off,  and I had been ignoring His call to return and walk with Him. I was dis-joined from him, and feeling very much unloved that He did not want to walk with me through life in the direction I wanted to go. And so, like a little baby, I cried... you don't love me. Not to be called a liar, He immediately showed me that He does love me.

Having disarmed my defense and extinguished my excuses, I said, ok... we'll try it your way. This reluctant, yet simple obedience allowed the relationship turns intimate. I am not convinced yet that His way will work, but I am going to try it because I know my way is failing. It is here that God picks up my soul and wraps it in His arms. I am sitting in His lap like a child enjoying the hug, the comfort, the peace, and security this place of rest represents. Looking at the path is scary, but I am not yet walking on it. Picture a child sitting on his father's lap. Perhaps the child is about to learn to ride a bicycle. The dad says, it's going to be ok. Don't worry, I won't let you fall. I will be right there. You can do it. All these words of encouragement from the safety of daddy's lap.

This is an awesome place to be. What better place is there then to be in a place of both security, love, affirmation, and encouragement. In so many ways it is awesome to be broken and scared. In fact, it is even addictive to be broken and scared. The world is full of people addicted to being broken and scared because they are addicted to the comfort people give them when they express it. They go from comforter to comforter exhausting all of them in their need. But this is not healthy. It is not healthy to remain broken and scared and go from comforter to comforter, and nor will God allow a person to remain broken and scared and in His lap forever. At some point we have to get out of the lap of God and start walking that path. Yes He will be right there with us. But we have got to get up and walk, that is where the growth is. That is where we will discover more of what God is and about.

It is here, in this get up and walk place that my relationship to God has come. And it kind of sucks. There is such a marked difference in the "feelings" as I transition from His lap to the path.  And there is a marked change in attitude in the compulsions I feel Him press upon me. No longer can I go crying to Him for Him to say it will be alright. Now I have to say myself, it will be alright... and worse believe it in faith. I'm up on the bicycle about to ride for the first time. He's there, His hand is holding me up. But words are turning to action.  It's crazy, but I'm living the book I am writing, Growing in Christ.

There is a poem called Footprints in the Sand. It talks about going through life and sometime there being 2 set of footprints and other times only one. The one set being Jesus carrying us. For me, life is in that place where Jesus is putting me down again, to walk side by side.

Right now, as it relates to footprints, there are only three types. Footprints going in different directions, two sets, or one set. If you are in the place of one set, enjoy the time on God's lap. It is a time of refreshment and healing. It's purpose is to make you ready for tomorrow, when you and God do it together.