So apparently I kind of suck at getting this blog up every Thursday, so I am thinking I am going to cut it down to every two weeks and see how that goes. And even though today is actually Friday, I still feel like I made it for this week so...
I hope everyone is doing fantastic. We are finally getting rain here, so hopefully that means the fireban will be lifted for Drayton Valley and we can have some campfires next week.
Zeteo is next week! Mark it on your calendars (if it isn't already there) and tell your friends! Its a little out of the city, but I hear that the Chesterton House is beautiful.
( I just spent over an hour watching flashmobs on Youtube. Oh boy. To see the one I finally chose, read the blog and find it - ooh scavenger hunt.)
This Weeks Theme: Straight Up
In the Bible, meekness is mentioned many times:
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, Colossians 3:12
The problem is, we have such a misconception about what God is asking of us when He asks us to be meek. The Greek word for meek, is praus, which has been difficult to translate to English because it has such a rich meaning.
According to William Barclay's study guide (or simplified here), praus is the regular word for a [horse] which has been domesticated, which has been trained to obey the word of command, which has learned to answer to the reins. It is the word for an animal which has learned to accept control.
I guess we are all meant to be like that horse - to retain our strength but to learn how to have this strength lead, guided, wielded in the most valuable way.
However, Father Marc mentioned at the last Zeteo, that we should also have boldness. God desires us to be open, receptive to His will, but at the same time, to be bold. The example given by Father Marc, was that of Mary when the angel appeared to her. Though Mary was perfectly obedient to the Will of God, she was also no pushover:
But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man." And the angel said to her in reply, "The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child born will be called holy, the Son of God." [...] Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done unto me according to thy word." Luke 1: 34-38
We see the boldness of Mary, followed by Her meekness. In her profound example, we are shown an authentic relationship with God.
I came to the realization a few months ago, that I did not have a real relationship with God. Tina was praying over me and she kept saying, "you are stomping your foot at God, you are so frustrated with Him." To say the least, it was strange to hear. I never thought of a relationship with God as being one where I could openly be frustrated with Him. I mean sure, in the past I was aware of being frustrated with God, but I would never have admitted it to Him.
Logically, I know how foolish that is. After all, He knows everything:
MY travels and my rest you mark; with all my ways you are familiar. Even before a word is on my tongue, Lord you know it all. Behind and before you encircle me. Such knowledge is beyond me, far too lofty for my reach. Psalm 139: 3-6
But it was a big moment for me to realize that sometimes God just wants us to be real with Him. He can take it.
So I went home that night, and I straight up told Him, "You know what? I'm frustrated." And for the first time in my life, I felt like we were so perfectly on the same page. Not that His voice suddenly came booming from the heavens. It was more like a laughter that filled my soul - He loved me for that frustration, He found so much joy in my candid conversation with Him because He found so much joy in me.
God wants to hear what you have to say, even if it is just to express frustration, sorrow, or doubt. Do not be afraid to tell Him if something is hard for you, if you are afraid of not knowing your future, or not being in control. Let Him have all of you; there is no part of you He messed up on. Believe that if you give it all to Him, He is able to take even the things that seem like your greatest weaknesses and turn them into strengths.
If this concept of a bold relationship is hard to grasp, like I wrote about in the last blog, join hands with Mary, or a patron saint and ask for their intercession. With their help, your prayer is more like a flashmob instead of a single guy dancing in the street. Because, according to Father Marc, praying with the body of Christ is like a flashmob.
I feel like having a candid relationship takes losing control as well. I feel like my relationship with him is pretty professional alot of the time, like my words are scripted.
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