The Risky Connection

Who really cares?
Most of our investments in life's relationships are guided by our worldly reflexes, by our flesh, by our eyes, by our pride. These things actually set themselves up as a roadblock to knowing and experiencing God's full riches that can be bestowed on us in this life. "I don't like the way this feels!" "This just doesn't look like something for me!" "I am not getting anything out of this!" (Sound familiar). What we want must be safe, distant, planned and sure; we have a very hard time with the spontaneity of the Spirit's leading...The Spirit calls us into the vast unknown - that is unsafe, near, now, and unsure, but there is where we learn to trust and truly know Him.

"My God, my God, Why hast thou forsaken me?" was not only the prophetic words cried from scripture (in Psalm 22:1)that point to and came from the suffering lips of our Savior; but these are the words that the Spirit wants us to hear groaning from the heart of people we meet daily. Risk a scary thought for a moment: What if the poster child for God's compassion was us? Would the groaning and the pain of the invisibility of loneliness be quenched even for a moment by our hesitant efforts?

                                            "Sorrow, do they ever want to cry
                                                     Do they see us pass by
                                    Where do they come from (simple answers)
                                                     Do they come falling,
                                                Falling from the sky like rain
                                              Crawling up the basement drain
                                                     Misfits and black sheep
                       Former brothers, friends of mothers" - Todd Rundgren, from "Bag Lady"

There is a discouraging hiss from Hell that says,"You can't save them all!" ... but we dare to touch even one. "And let us not be weary(spiritless - exhausted) in well doing, for in due season we shall reap , if we faint not" Gal. 6:9. You will be worn out by the thought of the magnitude of the lost world around you, but you will be blessed as you reach out in compassion to touch others one by one. A Due season of glorious reaping has to be preceded by an opportune time of loss of self. (See Galatians 2:20)

We may even fearfully pray - "O Father, Shake my place in this world" ... BUT then the trembling begins...I am undone...don't get too close...we all search for a safe distance ... Let's take the first risk (This is where we find true safety)..."Come near, Lord". From there it must be our all or nothing at all.

Eternity is a breath away ...His breath is far reaching and our breath is near...the opportune time is near. ...now...the Kingdom of God is near ...within you. Don't stand paraplegic-ally powerless and hopelessly slain by your flesh, by your eyes and by your pride... risk ,,, reach ...touch/ look ... cry ... love/ ... then share openly: Jesus, your hope for today and forever.

                                     "There is no yesterday, there is no tomorrow
                                       There is only now and that hardly matters
                                              No one cares about sad old ladies
                                                      With bags full of tatters"

                                                 "One day it gets a bit too cold
                                    Maybe a little too wet, maybe a little too lonely
                                         Lifelessly she lies amidst her bag world
                           But maybe she's only sleeping" Todd Rundgren, from "Bag Lady"

Mt 25:45 - "Then shall He answer them, saying , Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me."

Lord, Awake your Love, within me.

HLFA,

Jeff