Here’s the Plan, Part 1

OK, I still haven’t set out what I wanted to set out in the first post, and with good fortune, I’ll get to it this time (Ed.Note:  I didn’t.). The whole idea here is to set out some sort of way that I can follow that will help me follow God better.  To put it in broader terms, I want to live a life where I can see some growth in spiritual things. 

I  want a relationship with God that doesn’t fall to emotional pieces when the slightest thing goes wrong.  I want a joy and peace about me…not that up-tight shtick up my butt thing that gets me and everyone around me stressed out.  (Do you think it’s OK for Christians to say “butt?”  Oh.)  I don’t want to fall for that same old sin over and over again.  I’d like to see some improvement there.

And I’ve come to a conclusion.  I can’t do it.  I have thought positive.  I have pretended.  I have even believed in myself (Am I the only one who absolutely hates that phrase?) Then I have Not believed in myself.  I have tried, given up, and tried again.  I have put together plan after plan, strategy after strategy.  And I’m pretty convinced that out of all this, I’ve improved…pretty much not at all.

For those of you who can blithely follow God, talking to Him, knowing and doing His will without being a stuck-up jackass (not sure if Christians can say “jackass” either) to those of us who can’t and don’t, I congratulate you and will see you off now with my sincerest best wishes and hope you’ll someday let me know how you do it, because I want to be like you.  Seriously, your life is one I aspire to.   I hope you recognize how fortunate you are.
 

Or, feel free to stick around and watch me stumble around.  It might be worth some entertainment value.
 

Ted Turner famously once said that Christianity is for losers which caused a big kerfuffle in the media from the religious rank and file…many of whom without love,  without grace, without class and without thinking  proved his point.  Though he later apologized for saying it, I think Turner was right. 

Someone who breezes through life, winning at everything and succeeding in all they do, don’t seem to realize they are in desperate need.  Those of us who stumble around, unpopular, unattractive, and not that bright are constantly reminded that we are lacking and we are much quicker to cry out for help

And that’s seemingly what God has in mind.  I think He wants people to admit they don’t have it all together.  That they can agree with Turner that we are indeed “losers” and that we look for a winner to help us out.  And we find the one Winner, whose name is Jesus, and in Him we find the help we need and win through Him.  Forever and ever, Amen.

But what happens when we don’t?

And that’s where I stand.  And I want to try something to see if maybe I can change the circumstances.

A few thoughts on what I don’t want.  Honestly, I don’t want to chart my own course and get after it.  Seriously, God has a plan for my life?  OK, good.  I want to get on His plan and not try to get Him on mine.  As if. 

I want it real and authentic.  Don’t have time for fables and fairy tales. 

I was watching a video done by Judah Smith at City Church in Kirkland, WA.  (I don’t go to the church…but was recommended by a friend to watch some of his videos.)  For me the point of the video centered on the relationship between a pre-toddler and his loving father who was encouraging the child to walk.

I’ve been to thousands of sermons and I’ve heard that example used at least a few times before, but for some reason, it resonated like never before.  For some reason I was struck that this picture is the core of our relationship with God.

Here’s this little dude(tte) who’s just trying to begin to toddle…just trying to get up and take a few steps across the kitchen floor, and there’s daddy, arms out ready to catch, excited, encouraging, urging his youngster to do something new and exciting…and a little bit scary.  What’s he saying?  “Come to Daddy.  Come on.  I gotcha.  You won’t fall.  I’ll catch ya.  Come to me.” 

Could there be a more encouraging, loving, safer picture in our learning experience than that one?  I can’t think of one.

Look at his face.  It’s total focus on his child.  You think he’s thinking about his rent or job at that moment?  No, total focus on the child.  Love.  Encouragement.  Excitement.  Affection, acceptance, affirmation, commitment, care, closeness, nurturing…

Look at the child’s face.  A bit scared, a bit unsure.  But when they see Daddy’s face, I’ll submit to you that there’s a power there that literally draws them to their father.  We are wired for the need of acceptance, of parental love, of closeness and nurturing.   (I’ve seen people who did not get these from their parents and to this day…decades later…they’re still trying to deal with the holes in their soul from this lack.)   And when a person is there who can fill that void, we are drawn to them like iron to a magnet.
 

So the child stumbles forward.  And falls.  And Daddy’s arms swoop down and gently catch the child.  And with love and tenderness, He sets his child back up, and begins the exact same routine…same expression, same words, same desires.  No condemnation. No impatience.  No disappointment.  No insults…these are never the tools of love.   (Those are the tools of empty, needy souls who desire others to join them in their life of despair.)
 

And again and again the child goes to their father.  Always smiling,  Always eager, always willing.  And daddy always loving, patient, affirming, desiring, etc., etc., etc.

So, that’s going to be the foundation of this blog’s definition of our relationship with God.  I’m not going to see Him as the big ranger stud with the 150 pound pack and bulging calves leaping up a mountainside, wondering I can’t keep up.  I’m going to see Him as a loving, caring, interactive, patient, nurturing father, asking me to come to Him.  “Follow me.”A step  here. “Follow me.”  Another two steps there.  “Come to me.” Another step here. 

How many steps can I do?  You know what, when I’ve got to that kind of dad, I’m going to do as many as I can and follow Him as far as my spiritually toddling legs will carry.  If my God wants to enter into that kind of caring, nurturing and loving relationship with me, count me in.

I hope this is biblically correct.  I believe that it is.  I am hoping you pray about it and see if it’s true.