Lucy and Aslan
I remember a time when the world felt safe. Oh, I know it has never been totally safe, but in my reality it was. Every kid needs to feel safe so that when they grow up and find they have lost their way and everything looks dark and scary they will be able to pull that memory out. Lately the world doesn’t feel safe or kind. I scrolled through my Facebook news feed today and I swear I could hear it screaming.
I heard from the Anti-guns, Anti-gays, Anti-Gods, Anti-Religions, and Anti-Governments, and Anti-Muslims, and Anti-Christians and mostly everyone sounded angry. I looked around for home and reached back to a time before death and sorrow and misunderstandings and hurt feelings and sadness.
I remembered a world brimming with hope. There are so many things I don’t understand. I wish for a little Narnia, a little Middle Earth. In those worlds everything is cut and dried. Forces of evil are fought by forces of good and good prevails. End of story.
Too often in this world we don’t even know who the real enemy is. Everything is twisted and confused and misconstrued. We look for justice and we don’t see it coming any time soon. Sometimes we even turn on each other out of frustration. We wish for a world where everyone is on the same side. We wish there weren’t any sides.
I don’t understand why evil is allowed to flourish. Yesterday I heard someone ridicule a Christian believer for believing in talking snakes, well I happen to believe that impossible things can happen in God’s world because nothing is impossible with Him. I believe that if He has to use a talking donkey to scare some sense into Balaam, then that’s exactly what He will do.
Then the LORD gave the donkey the ability to speak. “What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?” it asked Balaam.
I happen to believe God wants justice for donkeys and humans alike. You see, the donkey saw an angel which Balaam was too thick-headed to see. Sometimes animals are smarter than humans. I happen to believe in a world where sometimes God produces miracles out of madness.
And the world is more than a little mad right now. We have known terrorists on our FBI most wanted lists planning attacks yet we can do nothing until they kill scores of people. Instead our authorities choose to go after a little boy who shared some Scripture to his school friends. It’s an upside down world. A world where you can easily lose your way.
Jesus asks us to do just one thing each day. To take the hand He offers and find the courage to get up and start walking on wobbly knees just like those He healed. I don’t know about you, but something in me needs healing every day. And the older I get, the more things need healing.
Jesus said, “Get up, take your bedroll, start walking.” The man was healed on the spot. He picked up his bedroll and walked off. (Note that Jesus first asked the man to get up. Sometimes just getting up is the hardest thing to do.) John 16:33
I remember what Elaine always said when she was going through the Alzheimer’s with her Mom, “I just keep going forward,” she would tell me, “Because if I stopped I may never want to get up again.” Because she knew where her help came from she was able to do what seemed impossible at the time.
Jesus answered them, “Do you finally believe? In fact, you’re about to make a run for it—saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I’m not abandoned. The Father is with me. I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.” The Message
There is an end to this race we’re on and the good news is that He’s already won it for us.
Take a step of healing with me won’t you?
Lori's Prayer Closet 
❤ this post! Thank you for taking me back to Narnia, with Aslan and Lucy…I was reminded how CS Lewis wrote of Narnia as a remarkable allegory of the Lord’s ‘Kingdom of Light’ and of the amazing invisible realms of His glory in the Spirit, and of His unshakeable power of love, joy, grace, hope, peace, and prayer. God has promised that it is His good pleasure to give us His awesome Kingdom. (Luke 12:32) It is already ours. Too often in the natural realm around us it may seem otherwise, until we remember that all that the Father has IS ours by faith, including all spiritual realms, for He promises that we are seated with Him already in these realms by faith! (Ephesians 2:6) As Jesus proved, His victory’s a ‘done deal’ forever. “In this world we will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world…” John 16:33 We are safe in Him… Shalom & blessings!
Shalom to you as well…..Oh I needed to remind myself of this today. Thank you so much for your note of encouragement. It’s all so crazy. But when I think of Home with a capital H it all comes clear. We have such a future of hope! Thank you so much….