Just Try It, For A Season

I wanted to post about the completion of my Fat Bottom Bag, but that will have to wait until tomorrow.

While reading the latest post of an old college friend I realized something that I've known for some time even more profoundly today. Our struggle is great. Now, when I use the word struggle, I'm trying to encompass ALL facets of our existence. Basically, whatever it was that clutched your heart when you read the word struggle, that's what I'm talking about.

Today I want to remind you that God has a plan, and that he has everything under control.

This fact however does not mean that we do not or should not try to take responsibility for making this world a better place even though things are just going to get worse and worse. You may think that I just contradicted myself, but wrap your mind around these things. Jesus spoke of his second coming in Matthew 24, but at verse 36 he said "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." I grew up in a house where to position yourself to take action against atrocities and to position yourself for success in the secular world was futile. "This system of things is coming to an end" is what I was taught. I believe this, but does this mean give up? I think not.

Everyone recognizes the signs of the times talked about in the bible, but many people refuse to believe God's resolution to all these things.

About 8 years ago I was sitting in the living room of one of my best friend's parents. They live in this seriously fly house in the Blackhawk division of Danville. Needless to say, this was a chill spot we frequented. We were watching CNN who was reporting on some goings on in the Middle East. Without words, my friend and I turned and slowly looked at each other up and down. We were pretty much dressed the exact same way as these girls in the Middle East who were about our same age. They were doing the same thing we were doing too, cooking, enjoying one another's company, etc. Only difference was, outside of their little plain apartment were bombs going off, gunfire, screaming, rockets landing. Those girls were really trying hard to find some normalcy in the confines of the thin walls of that fragile apartment.

My girlfriend and I reacted to this realization differently. I'll not discuss her reaction here, but it's almost like I turned into Sarah Conner that day. Although I've continued to lavish my son with the fortunes of his environment, I stopped trying to shield him from the realities of this world. I wanted him to know that we walk a thin line and that should some of the disturbing images discussed in my old friend's post should touch our front door, he shouldn't be surprised. He was two then and what this way of child rearing has yielded is quite phenomenal.

I took my son to work with me and advised him not to talk to anyone. I know this seems extreme, but it was really just a buffer that I'd implanted to keep him cognizant of every word that emerged from his lips. I work for the feds at one of the facilities listed in the top ten at risk for a terrorist attack. Somehow, my then 9 year old son found the guy there who is the boss of everyone (so many words in his title I can't remember), and engaged in conversation with him without an invitation. "Are you my mama's boss?" I distinctly told that boy to stay in the conference room, yet a few hours later he had the Deputy Chief of Operation's So and So playing some race car game on the PSP. At the end of the day that old white man told me what I already knew. "That young man is very intelligent, very confident, very well spoken...." My son also loves learning about God and His love, helping people, and recognizes injustices in our community quite easily. Don't utter the words imminent domain around him unless you want to go a few rounds.

I think that this is because I try to tell my son the truth about everything, even the evil truth, and never try to shield him from the fact that it exists. However the battles that I try to prepare him for are not physical like those of Sarah Conner's son, but spiritual.

There are so many great minds out there, and I so wish that all their hearts belonged to Christ. The impact that they would then have on this world's critical situations would literally be miraculous. I don't want to offend anyone or single them out for not being bible thumpers. I just believe in God's power and that he uses men to do his will and that if you, great minded people would believe this too......Ahhhhhhhh, sookie-sookie now!

Now, I know everyone has their various reasons for not believing enough in the bible to apply the words in this book to their lives. But if you believe in God and that he has control, then just try for a season to come closer to Him. During this season forget about your intellect (what you think you know about the history of Christianity as compared to other religions), your church experience, that pastor you know, your overbearing grandma or auntie. Forget about whatever reason you have for not submitting to Him (forget about your past experiences) and talk to him on your knees tonight about the things deepest in your heart. Commit to this communication to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob for just a season, just to see how your heart feels at the end of Spring as compared to the end of Winter.

My hope is that you'll at least have the peace that you need to look forward to the future. Let me know how it turns out.