J
Jordache
Guest
For a time when I was a teenager, there was a Christian slogan that was popular on t-shirts. It was my 15th birthday when my friend bought me the "cross-eyed" t-shirt. Everytime I saw others with scriptures or biblical slogans on their shirts, I would quiz them. Most of them had no clue what even the gist of the verse was that they were sporting, and it seemed odd to me. I loved my cross-eyed shirt because it was a conversation starter; and while I couldn't really quote the scripture perfectly under pressure, I did know how to explain it. But then it was just a popular verse to know. I knew God's word was truth and power, but I didn't have much experience. I didn't really know how to apply this verse to my life.
Within the past few months I find the Lord constantly reminding me to look into his face. While I want to frantically scour my circumstances for a remedy to my current situation, He simply says, "Look into my eyes." When I do it's entracning. Nonetheless, I eventually find myself thinking, "But I need to figure this out. I need to fix this." But His gaze is locked onto me, and though I am not looking at where He is walking, I find myself moving in stride with him for a step or two. Then, I think, "But there will be no solution. I have to figure this out" And He says, "Look at me." I always want to complicate His answer. I imagine Him with a list, perhaps not written down, but a list regardless. "Ok, well backtrack here. You can't do this. You can't do that. Hmmm... probably not a good idea. Tsk...tsk...What were you thinking? No that wasn't a good idea. Watch your step...There ya go. Now go do better."
The cross-eyed slogan referenced Hebrews 12:2: "...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." The older I get the more I realize that God was never even kindly sending me off with a list of how to do better. It was never His intent for me to learn to do things correclty on my own. He was inviting me to look into His eyes.
In highschool I did ballroom dance. The first thing they ever taught, and the most important thing they constantly reinforced was frame and focus. You needed a broad and sturdy frame in order to feel the subtle movements of your lead, and you always needed to be looking into his eyes. When you missed a step, the first thing you wanted to do was stop, drop frame and analyze the mistake. That was the worst thing you could possibly do. The dance completely stopped; you lost the feel of the music, and you lost the connection with your partner. What you needed to do was reestablish frame and focus. This would ensure the quickest recovery. Reestablishing the basics put you back intune with the movements that directed you in your steps.
Recently, the Lord has asked something more of me, and He gave me a picture so I could know just what He was doing. Several weeks ago He asked me to to pick up the pace in my spiritual life. Honestly, I really didn't want to. It felt unfair of Him to request more of me when I felt like I was doing my best to barely hang on. But I knew in my heart that I wanted and needed to obey even if I felt like I couldn't do it. I knew that He wasn't calling me to something so I could fail. I saw myself running through mud. I was moving slowly, but I knew I was doing as He asked. Recently, I felt like I had gotten tangled. The entangling stopped me. I stood there knowing I had to keep running, but I also had to get my shoe unstuck from this root. But no matter how much I tugged or broke off, I was stick stuck. I cried out, "Jesus, I can't run if I'm stuck, and this won't let go." He heard me, but he didn't come and yank out the roots as I thought he would have. He didn't tell me to pull harder. He didn't tell me to perservere. He said, "Look at me...and run." Run? How was I supposed to run when I was stuck? It didn't make sense.
I looked up to meet Jesus eyes which had never stopped looking at me, and as I took one running step towards Him, my foot broke free. You see, it wasn't about the entanglement being to powerful. It had nothing to do with what was even holding me back. It was all about know that Jesus is the solution to any entanglement we have.
Within the past few months I find the Lord constantly reminding me to look into his face. While I want to frantically scour my circumstances for a remedy to my current situation, He simply says, "Look into my eyes." When I do it's entracning. Nonetheless, I eventually find myself thinking, "But I need to figure this out. I need to fix this." But His gaze is locked onto me, and though I am not looking at where He is walking, I find myself moving in stride with him for a step or two. Then, I think, "But there will be no solution. I have to figure this out" And He says, "Look at me." I always want to complicate His answer. I imagine Him with a list, perhaps not written down, but a list regardless. "Ok, well backtrack here. You can't do this. You can't do that. Hmmm... probably not a good idea. Tsk...tsk...What were you thinking? No that wasn't a good idea. Watch your step...There ya go. Now go do better."
The cross-eyed slogan referenced Hebrews 12:2: "...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." The older I get the more I realize that God was never even kindly sending me off with a list of how to do better. It was never His intent for me to learn to do things correclty on my own. He was inviting me to look into His eyes.
In highschool I did ballroom dance. The first thing they ever taught, and the most important thing they constantly reinforced was frame and focus. You needed a broad and sturdy frame in order to feel the subtle movements of your lead, and you always needed to be looking into his eyes. When you missed a step, the first thing you wanted to do was stop, drop frame and analyze the mistake. That was the worst thing you could possibly do. The dance completely stopped; you lost the feel of the music, and you lost the connection with your partner. What you needed to do was reestablish frame and focus. This would ensure the quickest recovery. Reestablishing the basics put you back intune with the movements that directed you in your steps.
Recently, the Lord has asked something more of me, and He gave me a picture so I could know just what He was doing. Several weeks ago He asked me to to pick up the pace in my spiritual life. Honestly, I really didn't want to. It felt unfair of Him to request more of me when I felt like I was doing my best to barely hang on. But I knew in my heart that I wanted and needed to obey even if I felt like I couldn't do it. I knew that He wasn't calling me to something so I could fail. I saw myself running through mud. I was moving slowly, but I knew I was doing as He asked. Recently, I felt like I had gotten tangled. The entangling stopped me. I stood there knowing I had to keep running, but I also had to get my shoe unstuck from this root. But no matter how much I tugged or broke off, I was stick stuck. I cried out, "Jesus, I can't run if I'm stuck, and this won't let go." He heard me, but he didn't come and yank out the roots as I thought he would have. He didn't tell me to pull harder. He didn't tell me to perservere. He said, "Look at me...and run." Run? How was I supposed to run when I was stuck? It didn't make sense.
I looked up to meet Jesus eyes which had never stopped looking at me, and as I took one running step towards Him, my foot broke free. You see, it wasn't about the entanglement being to powerful. It had nothing to do with what was even holding me back. It was all about know that Jesus is the solution to any entanglement we have.