Blessed Birkenstocks

"If I could hear Christ praying for me, I would not fear a million enemies." Robert Murray M'Cheyne.

Reading that quote put my already overactive imagination into overdrive. I have no idea who the dude is that said it and I imagine before I reach the last sentence of this post, I will have conducted a google search to scratch that itchy question, but in my imagination he was a commander of troops surveying a battleground, preparing his men for a battle against an army three times their size. Gazing over his men, uttering prayers and crossing the Holy Trinity over his chain mail. Or perhaps it was just one man, a man of conviction who was being persecuted for his love of Christ and was facing death at the hands of a firing squad. Think about it for just a moment and no cheating! No Google, no Wikipedia, just use your noodle and imagine why anyone would have need to say such a thing. Maybe, he is just your average believer who actually wants to know His Savior more intimately. I don't know. What I do know is that we live in a cushy, air-conditioned, wifi having world where the biggest known enemies we face on a daily basis are not enough bars on our phones or someone using the last of the toilet paper without replacing the roll. Why would this guy be worried about any enemies? What was he facing? Did he tick someone off whilst waxing the poetic? Seems like he isn't like most of us, floating along in a sea of first world problems, filled with the thoughts of how to add to our comfort, ways we can make our lives easier, shortcuts to saving a few dollars, what we will wear to church, how to fluff our nests. What we forget that old dude up there was aware of is that we are in a war. Don't for one, hot second think that your nest isn't positioned right smack in the middle of a battleground. There is a predator prowling about who wants to wipe out the fluffiest nest of all, the Kingdom of God. (1 Peter 5:8)

I've heard it said that the greatest trick satan attempts is to convince us that he doesn't exist. Now ask yourself why he'd want to convince us of this? To undermine Christianity? To allow our minds to believe that God is a vengeful and wrathful entity that seeks to punish us? How many times have you heard someone claim that they can't do "Christianity" because they can't believe in a God who would allow children to die of cancers or babies to perish in wars? Personally, I have heard multiple variations of reasons and had even adopted one myself: Why would God let this happen to me? If you've read my previous posts, you'll remember that my relationship with Jesus wasn't forged by a life spent in church on Sundays. I spent a large amount of time believing in whatever I thought could get me through the situations I faced. At one point, I laughed in someone's face when they told me that God loves me no matter what. Here's a little nugget for you; if you don't understand true, grace- filled unconditional love you can't understand the vacuum of darkness satan is hoping you slip up and fall into either. When Darth Vader said, "Come to the dark side" he didn't know that his version is fields of poppies and butterflies compared to what is really lurking around out in the world. One of the most iconic pop-culture bad guys of all time couldn't even grasp what the real "dark side" is on his evilest of days, Darth in all of his heavy-breathing glory couldn't muster the kinds of Jedi mind tricks satan puts on us.

Ever notice a theme with all of the popular pop culture, cult classic movies? Trilogies, 7 book series, Prequels, sequels and everything in between. They tend to lean towards the battle of good versus evil, with a heavy emphasis on underdogs and unlikely heroes winning in the end. Kind of reminds me of.....The Holy Bible. What a bunch of ragtag dudes Jesus hung out with! The adventures and trials, the constant struggle between good and evil. Now don't get me wrong, there are some moments when you have to kind of "skim" through the who begat who and it is all relevant (trust me on this), but when you just look at the entirety of it, God wrote the greatest series of all time and it NEVER changes. JUST. LIKE. HIM. No new director is going to step in and recast our favorite characters or edit the dialogue. No corporate branding, no cameo appearances (welllll, Moses and Elijah do make an appearance in the New Testament that dropped my jaw). Disney isn't going to buy the rights to the The Holy Bible and turn it into a musical anytime soon is what I'm getting at. It is the one, perfect and untouchable thing in this world. The only truth. In that truth lies the struggle of the flesh, the reason why we must be aware of exactly what the enemy counts on us to forget. The Bible never says that we will not face trials, that we won't suffer loss and be witness to unspeakable or unexplainable events. In fact, God encourages our steadfastness during these times; that we remain in faith.  He will deliver us from the pain and mourning, the shame, guilt and suffocating grief that satan and our human emotions will hold us captive in. Jesus, God in the flesh, walked this Earth with us so that we may know what mercy and grace look and feel like, so that we we would understand what love truly looks like. Now, the reason I won't linger too long on the dark side; I read the last page in the Bible. I know who wins. Doesn't make me sit back and enjoy my popcorn and snuggie though. In fact it inspires me to get prepared, knowing that I am right in the middle of it. I know of one enemy, but he puts his poison in the Kool Aid of millions. He knows your flavor of sin. But you, adored child of the King, do not have to drink it. Put it down, walk away and go find that stream of Living Water and let your thirst be quenched with goodness and mercy.

Easier said than done, isn't it? That's the trick of it all, that's when you know you're facing something clever. Religion will tell you that it is all hard work to follow Christ. Relationship with Christ squashes tht lie and tells you it is not only easy, but entirely worth it. I'm going to give you a few examples, in case you were lulled to sleep in the middle of a fight. That book I mentioned up there? Take it out and turn to the book of Ephesians. Paul (formerly church burning, Christian persecuting Saul) wrote this to the churches surrounding Ephesus to explain the scope of God's eternal plan for all humanity. Now if you'll join me in chapter 6, verse 10, I would like to discuss The Whole Armor of God. You'll want to get your highlighter ready...

Ephesians 6:10-18 (ESV)

     "Finally, be strong in the Lord and the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places, Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand firm. Thereforehaving fastened on the belt of truth and having put on the breastplate of righteousness and as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one and the the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God..."

So, what does it mean to be strong in the Lord? It means to let Him be your strength. Often, for me it means to just be still and call upon Him. He will fight for us, He will rally up angels on high to surround us and send just the right people at the right time to support us. This isn't hard stuff, but we can be tricked into thinking so. What we do have to trust, is that God's timing is perfect and when we are waiting on that support is when we need to lean into Jesus the hardest. Don't call everyone you know looking for an answer, take it to God in prayer and let Jesus intercede on your behalf and wait patiently for who and what He sends to you. (This does not apply to situations when lives are at stake, please use your noodle for those, He gave it to you for a reason). Disclaimers aside, His might is so much...mightier than our own. How thankful I am for a Savior who has unending supplies of what I don't!

Now lets talk about schemes. Webster says a scheme is "a large scale systematic plan or arrangement for attaining some particular object or putting a particular idea into effect." Lets not mince words here. The devil is NEVER concerned about our well being and ONLY trying to kill, rob or destroy us of all good things (John 10:10) Why? Because all good things are from God (Psalm 127, paraphrased). The enemy of our souls has a systematic plan to attain our soul and then use us to put his ideas into effect. Essentially, poisoning the Kool-Aid, convincing everyone we know to drink it and then we all die. Scheme, decoded. Always good to know your enemy.

Think about this. When I got dressed this morning, did I fasten on the belt of truth? What is the truth? Does it match my shoes? Sorry, I had to. Really important though is that I chose to put it on. That it is not something I made, it isn't anything I bought at American Eagle. It is of God and I choose to wear it. God doesn't dress me in it like a toddler, or force me to wear it if I don't want to (very unlike a dress I had to wear to an 8th grade winter dance that I'm still not over). Bottom line, when I dressed this morning, I fastened myself with this truth: In Him, I heard the word of truth, the gospel of my salvation. And I believe in Him and therefore, I am sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). SEALED. Can't. Touch. This.

When Hammer Time has concluded, we shall move on. "Makes me say Oh my Lord...". Sometimes I wonder if I should be allowed to do this at all, but clearly God has a sense of humor that is witnessed through daughters like myself who plainly don't give a patootie if I'm everyone's flavor or not. Moving on...

Righteousness. Such a throwback word for an 80's-90's hybrid SoCal girl like myself. I think we wore something similar to peace on our feet back in the day too, also known as Birkenstocks. Serious time now; Why do you think Paul felt led to break down these pieces of armor? In the time Paul wrote the letter to the church at Ephesus, he knew that he would have to demonstrate to them how important it was that their minds stay tuned in for battle against an unseen enemy and battle armor illustrated that point precisely. Ephesus was well known for its easy-breezy, idol worshipping lifestyle during that time and with one of the Eight Wonders of the Ancient World thriving in 60 a.d., also known as the temple of Artemis, Paul's letter to the Ephesians is often regarded as one of the least personal and one of the more "hit 'em where it counts" books written in the New Testament. He wasn't playing around. They were in a battle. So are we. Grab your sword, send a prayer up to Jesus and let's go.

Before I end one of my longest posts yet, I want to leave you with this thought. In the second sentence of the scripture mentioned above, we are told to put on the full armor of God so we may stand against the devil. Stand. Not sit, cower, run from, hide from, or lay down in front of. Stand. When you are at a place in your walk, or you just now decided to walk with Christ and you feel that scheme working on your mind, attacking your thoughts; stand. Stand on God's promises and let the enemy panic. You have something that cannot be taken from you. Salvation. Victory. Jesus said, "Surely, I am coming soon" (Revelations 22:20 paraphrased). So I say, stand. He always keeps His promises.

Father to know that your Son is praying on my behalf, strikes all fear from my heart. Let me stand with Jesus Christ, the cornerstone of my faith. I praise your Holy name!

With This Cheese...

My world is turned upside down right now. In more ways than one.

First, I have vertigo. Real live, feels-like-the-Earth-is-moving-under-my-feet, vertigo.

Second, I am now a married woman. Real live, with-this-ring-I-do-wed, married.

The second came before the first, but they equally have my head spinning. Vertigo has an odd way of making you very no-nonsense, allowing only the most relevant of thoughts to pass through your off-kilter noggin. Multi-tasking becomes near impossible as the very real effort of staying upright wins out over even considering walking and talking at the same time. I now understand how Paul, having arrived shipwrecked in Malta after being tossed about on the highs seas, was able to shake a viper off into a fire with such casual regard. He didn't have the capacity to think about it or time to worry about such nuisances as venom or possible death, he was trying to keep from going tail over teakettle. The natives were standing around waiting for Paul to swell up and keel over and when that didn't happen they deemed him a god. Paul wasn't a god though, He just knew the One and True extremely well (Acts 27 & 28). Besides, nobody has time for snakes when they are focused on putting one foot in front of the other in an attempt to get to their destiny. There is a sermon in that last sentence somewhere, I will have to revisit it when I have less sideways momentum. Where I was going with all this was straight to God. I know He is in this somewhere. The "I'm newly married and disoriented" thing seems just TOO obvious and I am trying to discern how my first few days as a dizzy Mrs. play out, Kingdom style. I have faith that there is a reason.

This is my second marriage. In fact, the first perished in an enormously destructive fire in 2008. It wasn't fireproofed nor insured and the damage was counted as "totaled" when the final papers were signed. Now, seven years later, God is returning to me all that was lost and then way more. The Almighty had His own insurance on my life and even though I wasn't aware of the coverage back then, I have a pretty good idea now that this term comes with all sorts of "perks". In my mind I see a variety of clever ads and slogans, with larger than life hands and jingles, "Nobody Saves Like Almighty". Yeah, that's how my brain works, just ask my friends who endured the Gospel Grow fertilizer poster I made back in November. "Saturate your life with the Gospel and watch it grow!" all patterned in Miracle Grow fashion. Cheesy, yes. Truth, even yesser.  Thankful that my hubby is as cheesy, or perhaps even cheesier than I am. Yes, that's a lot of cheddar. No, I am not going to keep writing about cheese.

 Being dizzy, I may not make a lot of sense, but I will make a few points. Maybe. Here is one, I think; The first time I ever heard God speak to me without a doubt was during the fire of '08. In an exhausted lump of tears and pain, I decided to nap one afternoon in a desperate attempt to turn off the noise in my head. God had another plan. How about a prophetic dream for the girl who won't believe? A dream that only He could ordain. One where I came across a dove with a broken wing, floundering on the floor of a dirt-floored abode in a place I've never been. I watched as the dove flailed around, trying to reach the open square in the wall to the outside, to no avail. I couldn't move in my dream. All I could do is stand there and watch as the dove hurt itself even further in a frenzied attempt at freedom. I couldn't speak, but tears rolled down my face as I watched this beautiful creature try time after time to escape and take to the air. In that moment, His voice. That is what you look like right now. Let me heal you. I WILL heal you. A tender vision, an unforgettable promise. It took me years to take him up on it though. Too broken and afraid to believe anything so good for myself. I used to regret those years, silently berating myself for being so foolish. Tallying the damage I'd caused during that time, thinking pridefully that I did things that were un-doable. But, Mercy. Oh, sweet Mercy. He won't even hear of that kind of talk. When I start to head down memory lane with a basket to pick regrets along the way, I hear the Holy Spirit whisper my name, beckoning me back towards love. I see my Refiner in that blazing fire now, He was standing in it with me all along. Never will I forsake you, my daughter. 

So, here I am. In a brand new life, with a brand new last name. With a brand new, Kingdom appointed family. Did getting married miraculously change my life? Was it the answer to my prayers? Am I living a fairy-tale princess, real-life happy ending? Not necessarily. All of it brought me closer to God, because now more than ever, I need Him. I need Him so I can be who my family needs me to be; a loving, kind, gentle, patient, merciful, nurturing and selfless wife and mother. On any given day, I do not wake up as most or any of those things. I am a slow starting, coffee guzzlin', don't-speak-until-I'm-caffeinated, wild-haired heathen. I pray before my feet hit the floor, mostly to spare the other people who might encounter 6 a.m. me, then I praise God for the transformative powers of Christ sometime around 8 a.m.. You see, there is nothing about our flesh that is naturally as loving as our Savior and THAT my friends, is why marriage is making me holier, day by day. I'm my best when I get out of the way and let Christ complete me. I'm my best when I am pressing on towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of Jesus Christ (Phillipians 3:14), because it is He who changed my life. It is He who spoke a very gentle truth into places where lies once screamed.  My Prince of Peace gets the credit for my dream come true. A life surrendered to God's will. He kept His promise.

My fairy-tale ending happened on a cross at Calvary some 2,000 years ago.  Who needs any other?



*****I started this blog post almost 3 weeks ago, but was unable to finish it. Since then the vertigo is gone and I'm steadier than I have ever been. Why? Because I'm standing on God's word. You should try it if you're feeling unsteady.*****