We’ve looked at some pretty heavy stuff the last couple posts and, to be truthful life itself has been quite heavy since the last writing, so what I really feel the desire to do today is just roll around in His goodness. Some days you just have to pull a little closer to Glory and ride there for a bit. What say we leave the temporal worries and anxieties, the hurts and the can’t-do-a-thing-abouts sitting on the curb for this day and ease out into the freedom lane with the Spirit?
I know Facts are the engine of my Faith and Feelings aren’t always accurate indicators of the spiritual reality, but for this particular moment I’m giving myself permission to get swept up in the Godness of Him and simply enjoy feeling like He is with me. These kinds of days are necessary for me. I need times when I can indulge my emotions and let myself feel lavished in His love. Times when I can look past the urgent of this planet and imagine life from a heavenly point of view. Times when I can entertain what it will feel like to walk in Glory. In other words, I need days when I can just be the caboose!
I have a wonderful friend who is married to a gentleman with a penchant for her, God’s truth, and a whiteboard. One of his favorite illustrations depicts a train engine marked Facts, followed by a car with Faith written on it, and finally, a caboose with the word Feelings. The idea of the drawing is that we can’t let our feelings dictate our faith or diagnose our spiritual condition. It’s right on the mark and I love them for their team teaching efforts to make this knowledge part of my freedom walk because it has given me the tenacity to stand firm in truth many times when I didn’t “feel” like it. But just for today I’m going to hang off the back of the caboose, wave my arms around, and drink in the Sonshine.
Lessons from Kim and Rod
I’m going to let the wonder-if-I-did-that-right thoughts all slip away and replace it with being thrilled that my obedience brings Him joy. I’m not going to fret about what will come from the maybe-I-should’ve-said-that-differently moments or let myself be weighed down by the hope-I-didn’t-overstep-my-boundaries-there conversations. Instead, I’m going to let my heart dance at the idea that the One I have my eyes fixed on never takes His eyes off me. I’m going to celebrate the notion that the One I find too beautiful for words is enthralled with my beauty. I’m going to get all caught up in the absolute giddiness I feel when I picture Him as my Mighty Warrior and myself as the chick with a sword at His side.
I could gush on and on, and believe me I’m totally fighting the urge to do so. It feels so good to have the smile spread across my face and my eyes crinkle for no other reason except I am thinking of Him. It’s been too long since I have thrown off everything that hinders and just run with the Spirit. Yesterday in my devotions, I was reading about Hagar who was facing some massive challenges in her life to say the least. She had been sent away from her home with a young son, some food strapped to her back, and a canteen of water. As they wandered in the desert, the water ran out and she was certain her boy was going to die. I can’t imagine the helplessness and despair she must of felt as she placed Ishmael under that shrub to die. Imagine how gut-wrenching her sobs must have been as she sat down a distance away from him and just waited for the inevitable. And then . . . God intervenes. The One she had called El Roi (the One who Sees) at another well in the desert had never taken His eyes off her.
Abraham got up early the next morning, got some food together and a canteen of water for Hagar, put them on her back and sent her away with the child. She wandered off into the desert of Beersheba. When the water was gone, she left the child under a shrub and went off, fifty yards or so. She said, “I can’t watch my son die.” As she sat, she broke into sobs. . . .
Just then God opened her eyes.
She looked. She saw a well of water.
She went to it and filled her canteen
and gave the boy a long, cool drink.
Genesis 21:19 (The Message)
See the sweetness of Him? He opened her eyes to see His provision. He gave her exactly what she needed, right when she needed it, and He gave her eyes to see the blessing. There is so much more in that passage to look at. Such significance in the well. Such parallels between Hagar the slave girl and the Samaritan Woman who felt the unconditional love of Christ in the Gospel of John. But those are for another day. Today, we’re just loving being with Him.
Yes Sisters, let’s enjoy our day in the caboose. But here’s the truth of it. A day of celebration in the caboose would go nowhere without that engine. No hair would be flying around in the wind of the Spirit. No cool breeze of freedom would blow across our souls. There would only be sitting at the depot feeling erratic gusts of air now and then. Only the engine, the absolute TRUTH of who He is and the LOVE He lavishes on us, will get that caboose moving. And only feelings that match the truth of His character are worth celebrating.
I came to the train station years ago with more baggage than I can describe. I stood on the platform with all my sin stacked around me. God met me in my need and said, “I see you child, get on board.” He’s not left me unattended once. He has never taken His eyes off me. And when I have days filled with challenges, and maybe even despair, He opens my eyes and shows me the well of His goodness. He fills my canteen with the truth of His blessings, invites me to the caboose, and lets me enjoy a long, cool drink.
Girlfriend, He will not be bothered a bit should you choose to hang off the back of the caboose in celebration today. And if you’re just not “feeling” like it, ask Him to open your eyes and show you the well. The Fact is that our Faith in the One who is the Living Water will never leave us Feeling thirsty! Oh, how I love that His well will not run dry!
Some Interesting Information:
- El Roi: wonderful expansion and exploration of the Title — http://www.preceptaustin.org/el_roi_-_god_who_sees.htm
- The Message: The goal of The Message is to engage people in the reading process and help them understand what they read. This is not a study Bible, but rather “”a reading Bible.”” The verse numbers, which are not in the original documents, have been left out of the print version to facilitate easy and enjoyable reading. The original books of the Bible were not written in formal language. The Message tries to recapture the Word in the words we use today. http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/Message-MSG-Bible/
glimpsedglory 