Removing my Bubble Wrap
When I see the tragedies unfolding in Burma and China, it makes me cry. Even the relatively small disaster of the tornadoes that swept through Arkansas last week have left their toll.
What a senseless waste. "Tragedy" does not even begin to describe what is happening in these places. The word itself seems pale, washed-out.
I believe in a loving God. So many people question how such a God can exist at times like this. At times, though I have not questioned his existence, I have certainly been angry with him. Is all this suffering really necessary?
The hardest thing is that he told us to expect it. "You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginnings of birth pains." (Matthew 24:6-8 NIV)
The beginnings of birth pains?!! Yes, I know that it will get worse. Anyone who has ever read through the book of Revelation in the Bible knows it's going to get worse. Even if you only understand 1/10th of the stuff in that book, you know, "Things are gonna get bad."
Still, it's hard to experience, even at this remove. My heart cries with all the parents around the world that are grieving right now. In China, where they are only allowed to have one child--and now, many parents have lost their only child. But regardless of whether you have one or ten, each one is irreplaceable.
As Christians, I think that sometimes we forget our true mission. I know I have often been guilty of this. Each night, when I pray with my kids, I have them echo the line "Keep us safe."
Safe. Yes, I want to wrap them up in little cocoons so they can get prodded, but not too much, and so that I do not have to become one of those parents who ever has to grieve the loss of her child. A bubble wrap cocoon. You know, so they can still see out.
But am I to hold them so tightly that they can not experience anything? That is not my place. And where in the Bible does God call us to be safe? I think I've read pretty much every verse in my Bible (some more than others, but every verse at least once) and I've never seen anywhere where we are called to be safe.
No. A few chapters after Jesus was warning his disciples about the signs of the end, Matthew ends his gospel with Jesus' last commission: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20 NIV)
Far from being safe, we are to go out into these places, putting our own lives at risk for the lives of others, that they may know and experience the freedom, joy and love to be found in Jesus Christ. So that instead of us being safe, they may be saved.
Yet here I sit, so often peering out through my own bubble wrap cocoon, too busy or too comfortable to free myself from my desire for safety and reach out, expose myself, take a risk so that another might benefit. Who has been paying the price for my selfishness? I'm sure if I really knew the answer, I wouldn't stop weeping for weeks.
Lord, let me not waste any opportunity. And when I am faced with senseless tragedy, may I turn my face to You, and the time when "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:4 NIV)
I Can Only Imagine
By MercyMe
I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk
By your side
I can only imagine
What my eyes will see
When your face
Is before me
I can only imagine
Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
When that day comes
And I find myself
Standing in the Son
I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever
Forever worship You
I can only imagine
Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever, forever worship you
I believe in a loving God. So many people question how such a God can exist at times like this. At times, though I have not questioned his existence, I have certainly been angry with him. Is all this suffering really necessary?
The hardest thing is that he told us to expect it. "You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginnings of birth pains." (Matthew 24:6-8 NIV)
The beginnings of birth pains?!! Yes, I know that it will get worse. Anyone who has ever read through the book of Revelation in the Bible knows it's going to get worse. Even if you only understand 1/10th of the stuff in that book, you know, "Things are gonna get bad."
Still, it's hard to experience, even at this remove. My heart cries with all the parents around the world that are grieving right now. In China, where they are only allowed to have one child--and now, many parents have lost their only child. But regardless of whether you have one or ten, each one is irreplaceable.
As Christians, I think that sometimes we forget our true mission. I know I have often been guilty of this. Each night, when I pray with my kids, I have them echo the line "Keep us safe."
Safe. Yes, I want to wrap them up in little cocoons so they can get prodded, but not too much, and so that I do not have to become one of those parents who ever has to grieve the loss of her child. A bubble wrap cocoon. You know, so they can still see out.
But am I to hold them so tightly that they can not experience anything? That is not my place. And where in the Bible does God call us to be safe? I think I've read pretty much every verse in my Bible (some more than others, but every verse at least once) and I've never seen anywhere where we are called to be safe.
No. A few chapters after Jesus was warning his disciples about the signs of the end, Matthew ends his gospel with Jesus' last commission: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20 NIV)
Far from being safe, we are to go out into these places, putting our own lives at risk for the lives of others, that they may know and experience the freedom, joy and love to be found in Jesus Christ. So that instead of us being safe, they may be saved.
Yet here I sit, so often peering out through my own bubble wrap cocoon, too busy or too comfortable to free myself from my desire for safety and reach out, expose myself, take a risk so that another might benefit. Who has been paying the price for my selfishness? I'm sure if I really knew the answer, I wouldn't stop weeping for weeks.
Lord, let me not waste any opportunity. And when I am faced with senseless tragedy, may I turn my face to You, and the time when "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:4 NIV)
I Can Only Imagine
By MercyMe
I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk
By your side
I can only imagine
What my eyes will see
When your face
Is before me
I can only imagine
Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
When that day comes
And I find myself
Standing in the Son
I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever
Forever worship You
I can only imagine
Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever, forever worship you