God invites us to be new creations, original art, and to live a life of engagement. He says to leave the cheap imitation in a closet somewhere. He doesn't say when you hang the real you out there - the priceless one - that things will go great either. It's pretty clear from watching Jesus' followers past and present that when you risk the real you, you'll probably take a hit. God did when He hung Jesus out there. But one thing I do know is this: when we do take hits, and we will, God isn't going to think less of us.
-Bob Goff
Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.
-Genesis 2:25
Abba what does that feel like? To hang the real me completely out there, the priceless one, and feel no shame?
It's terrifying to let people see who we really are. To see the darkness in our hearts, our bad habits, all the things we've done in the past that we regret. Our biases, our shortcomings, the things we aren't good at. Being naked is terrifying. What would it look like to be with someone who loves you exactly as you are?
-Rob Bell
Life reminds me a comic book. Very valuable comic books are placed in covers and cases to protect them. But if all we do is protect the comic book because it's so valuable how can anyone enjoy what's inside? We are left with the cheap imitation. We get to enjoy the cover art and yes it is in our possession but we can't fully enjoy the rare issue.
It is only when the comic is taken out of it's case and into the unpredictable environment of this world that we can turn it's pages and enjoy the art, the story, the characters, the comic in it's entirety.
God invites us to risk our mint condition first edition lives. God calls us out of our cheap imitation sleeves and into this world. To be opened to be poured out. It's terrifying to hand my comic book to someone else. What if they crinkle a page? What if their hands are sticky? What if they spill something on it? What if the story isn't entertaining? What if they don't find the art beautiful? What if they throw it away in exchange for a different comic?
When I expose the real me I get hurt. I get betrayed, abandoned. But in order to fully step into the original art that You have created me to be I must live a life of engagement.
You did Jesus. You could have stayed in Heaven as we admired Your beautiful cover art but You didn't. You came down to my level, You came to the gutter and You flipped through the pages of Your heart so that we could have a relationship.
If I stay in the case then everyone around me stays in their cheap imitations.
We love each other because He loved us first.
-1 John 4:19
Because I know You won't think less of me for the hits I'll take in this life I need to step out and show the love You first showed me.
August 18th 2012
Douglas turns 57 today.
I wonder if I'll make it to 57.
I wonder what my father was like at 24.
I wonder what I will be like at 57.
Getting older is so strange. I wonder if I'll have a son. I wonder what he would be like. I wonder what he would think of his father. Would I be alive to see him turn 57? People are always growing, changing, becoming different people.
These past 24 years I've watched my father go from a young strong new dad to an old greying empty-nest father. It's difficult to see the man I thought of as the strongest man in the world have to wear glasses and grow old. I wonder what he will be like at 67.
Nothing lasts in this life.
Better - Jess Ray and the Rag Tag Army
-Bob Goff
Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.
-Genesis 2:25
Abba what does that feel like? To hang the real me completely out there, the priceless one, and feel no shame?
It's terrifying to let people see who we really are. To see the darkness in our hearts, our bad habits, all the things we've done in the past that we regret. Our biases, our shortcomings, the things we aren't good at. Being naked is terrifying. What would it look like to be with someone who loves you exactly as you are?
-Rob Bell
Life reminds me a comic book. Very valuable comic books are placed in covers and cases to protect them. But if all we do is protect the comic book because it's so valuable how can anyone enjoy what's inside? We are left with the cheap imitation. We get to enjoy the cover art and yes it is in our possession but we can't fully enjoy the rare issue.
It is only when the comic is taken out of it's case and into the unpredictable environment of this world that we can turn it's pages and enjoy the art, the story, the characters, the comic in it's entirety.
God invites us to risk our mint condition first edition lives. God calls us out of our cheap imitation sleeves and into this world. To be opened to be poured out. It's terrifying to hand my comic book to someone else. What if they crinkle a page? What if their hands are sticky? What if they spill something on it? What if the story isn't entertaining? What if they don't find the art beautiful? What if they throw it away in exchange for a different comic?
When I expose the real me I get hurt. I get betrayed, abandoned. But in order to fully step into the original art that You have created me to be I must live a life of engagement.
You did Jesus. You could have stayed in Heaven as we admired Your beautiful cover art but You didn't. You came down to my level, You came to the gutter and You flipped through the pages of Your heart so that we could have a relationship.
If I stay in the case then everyone around me stays in their cheap imitations.
We love each other because He loved us first.
-1 John 4:19
Because I know You won't think less of me for the hits I'll take in this life I need to step out and show the love You first showed me.
August 18th 2012
Douglas turns 57 today.
I wonder if I'll make it to 57.
I wonder what my father was like at 24.
I wonder what I will be like at 57.
Getting older is so strange. I wonder if I'll have a son. I wonder what he would be like. I wonder what he would think of his father. Would I be alive to see him turn 57? People are always growing, changing, becoming different people.
These past 24 years I've watched my father go from a young strong new dad to an old greying empty-nest father. It's difficult to see the man I thought of as the strongest man in the world have to wear glasses and grow old. I wonder what he will be like at 67.
Nothing lasts in this life.
Better - Jess Ray and the Rag Tag Army