What does God have to do with banana peels? Absolutely nothing. Stick with me...
After a crazy 4 months of the new year, my wife and I have been unraveling a web of burnout, lack of self-confidence, religion, resentment, and bitterness. All the while wondering, why us? Why has life unfolded this way? I can't help but feel like the man in the ditch that Jesus spoke of in Luke 10:35-38.
My wife and I were talking this morning. She was lamenting about someone on-line who had some phrase-ology that went something like, " _______ - it's all about Jesus." You can fill in the blank. We all know these people. I was one. I probably still am. Jesus is not just about whatever one thing you're doing. He's not just into pastors. He's not all into church-planting. He isn't just into worship. He's not all about adoption. He's not all about big families or homeschooling. He's not all about anti-homosexual agendas, griping about the government or end-time eschatology. If you're into that - great. Maybe. Who am I to judge, right? But if you think you're better than the rest of us for it - barf! And then when called self-righteous for your boasting and religious-speak, crying, "Persecution" - double barf!!!
That discussion lead us to how God has really changed our perspective and motivation, not only over the past few years, but accelerated it over the past few months. We reflected on some recent conversations, and how those conversations helped us to see how much *we've* changed. We've been told all sorts of stuff about the recent events that unfolded within our family. We were told we weren't equipped to deal with our circumstance - essentially weren't good enough. We were told we're outside the body and on an island - how could anyone know it was so hard? We were told we must have misinterpreted God's call and were outside of His will. I was told, "God will make things happen to trip us up so he can teach us a lesson."
What kind of God do we think He is? The bible says we love because He first loved us. So if I think about how I love my children, would I ever manipulate my child's circumstances to purposefully trip them up so I could teach them a lesson? That sounds maniacal! We joked about the cartoons and how banana peels are always strategically placed in the path for the character to put his foot down and go zooming to his butt. So next time my son forgets to put his shoes away, should I put them by his bedside with a banana peel stuck underneath so when he gets dressed in the morning, he puts them on, takes a step, falls flat on his back, and I get to run up to his room, laugh at his misfortune, and teach him a lesson about forgetting to put away his shoes? Would that look like I was *for* him or *against* him?
I bought into that lie for quite some time. I was constantly wanting to know in any and every circumstance, "What is the lesson here?" God was teaching me a lesson, walking the tight-rope will of God. But when I really thought about it - what I really believed was a life-force that was manipulating the universe to constantly wear me down, making me deny myself and teach me a lesson. In other words, putting banana peels all over the place to teach me some lessons. Wow, what a god!
Maybe God created me in His image, and I believed a bunch of lies about myself along the way in this journey called life.
We've learned this - life doesn't always turn out "right." WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG! You can do everything "right," and things still turn out "wrong." Poo happens. Thankfully, our God is right there with us in the manure-piles of life.
After a crazy 4 months of the new year, my wife and I have been unraveling a web of burnout, lack of self-confidence, religion, resentment, and bitterness. All the while wondering, why us? Why has life unfolded this way? I can't help but feel like the man in the ditch that Jesus spoke of in Luke 10:35-38.
My wife and I were talking this morning. She was lamenting about someone on-line who had some phrase-ology that went something like, " _______ - it's all about Jesus." You can fill in the blank. We all know these people. I was one. I probably still am. Jesus is not just about whatever one thing you're doing. He's not just into pastors. He's not all into church-planting. He isn't just into worship. He's not all about adoption. He's not all about big families or homeschooling. He's not all about anti-homosexual agendas, griping about the government or end-time eschatology. If you're into that - great. Maybe. Who am I to judge, right? But if you think you're better than the rest of us for it - barf! And then when called self-righteous for your boasting and religious-speak, crying, "Persecution" - double barf!!!
That discussion lead us to how God has really changed our perspective and motivation, not only over the past few years, but accelerated it over the past few months. We reflected on some recent conversations, and how those conversations helped us to see how much *we've* changed. We've been told all sorts of stuff about the recent events that unfolded within our family. We were told we weren't equipped to deal with our circumstance - essentially weren't good enough. We were told we're outside the body and on an island - how could anyone know it was so hard? We were told we must have misinterpreted God's call and were outside of His will. I was told, "God will make things happen to trip us up so he can teach us a lesson."
What kind of God do we think He is? The bible says we love because He first loved us. So if I think about how I love my children, would I ever manipulate my child's circumstances to purposefully trip them up so I could teach them a lesson? That sounds maniacal! We joked about the cartoons and how banana peels are always strategically placed in the path for the character to put his foot down and go zooming to his butt. So next time my son forgets to put his shoes away, should I put them by his bedside with a banana peel stuck underneath so when he gets dressed in the morning, he puts them on, takes a step, falls flat on his back, and I get to run up to his room, laugh at his misfortune, and teach him a lesson about forgetting to put away his shoes? Would that look like I was *for* him or *against* him?
I bought into that lie for quite some time. I was constantly wanting to know in any and every circumstance, "What is the lesson here?" God was teaching me a lesson, walking the tight-rope will of God. But when I really thought about it - what I really believed was a life-force that was manipulating the universe to constantly wear me down, making me deny myself and teach me a lesson. In other words, putting banana peels all over the place to teach me some lessons. Wow, what a god!
Maybe God created me in His image, and I believed a bunch of lies about myself along the way in this journey called life.
We've learned this - life doesn't always turn out "right." WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG! You can do everything "right," and things still turn out "wrong." Poo happens. Thankfully, our God is right there with us in the manure-piles of life.
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