An Ocean Epidemic of Authority and Power. ~ 2/08/08
Lamenting, I said, “I am such a “habit” creature, Lord.”
I picture my waffle-like, feeble self. Discouraged, I confess I vacillate
between strength and weakness, faith and doubt. Back and forth like
the fronds of limp seaweed I waver.
Today I sit beneath the water’s surface. Sadly, I watch me waver.
Unexpectedly, from this underwater position, I hear a quiet song ~
“TRUST IN THE LORD AND DO GOOD.”
How simple. How positional. How personal. How powerful.
The tune captures my heart and stiffens my fronds. He entrusts me
with authority and power, which will manifest if ~ and only if ~ I will trust Him.
Trust Him and do… do it. Whatever He asks me to do. Trust and do.
“TRUST IN THE LORD AND DO GOOD.”
It becomes a melody, then floats out over the sea. Settling on the surface, it slowly but persistently penetrates my liquid realm, until it pierces the murky silence below, where despair and doubt waffle and reign.
The gentle tune continues, persuading me, the seaweed, to shrink until there is only ocean bottom. Still the melody lingers, caressing ~ encouraging ~ until the ocean floor rumbles a response. Shifting and rolling, it begins a lifelong response to the soft but steady melody.
Slowly the earth rises up, dancing! ~ no longer irritated but empowered, by the tune.
Higher and higher the firm peaks rise. Awestruck by their strength, I’m also silenced by their simplicity. Filled with satisfaction, filled with peace, the peaks gain strength as they dance and twirl. Their movement begins to echo the song ~ His song ~
“TRUST IN THE LORD AND DO GOOD”.
Over and over, their deep rumblings shake my watery sanctuary. Relentlessly they bombard what was once whimpering seaweed fronds ~ until finally, harmony bursts ~
“HE IS YOUR REFUGE AND STRONG TOWER!”
Like the ink of a squid, the joy of this refrain spills into the sea, enfolding everything near it. Exiting dank colors explode to hues reflecting joy! These things enfolded all resist the urge to change, (they all resist change) but soon are filled to their max. They break apart in wild gladness and unpredictably add their distinctive voices, increasing the volume and the literal power of His song. No longer a simple tune, no longer a pleasant harmony ~ the ocean literally rocks and rolls in full-blown symphony ~ a panoply ~
an orchestration ~ of outrageous and limitless praise.
Each molecule in the sea, whether in sand, stone, coral; dwelling deeply within
plant, fish or mammal ~ each molecule becomes infected with an epidemic of joyful song and therefore, with the actual strength of the Lord.
From shore to shore, from coast to coast, openly and majestically the sea roars worship.
Waves, gently lapping upon smooth warm sand ~
Waves, crashing violently against chilling granite cliffs ~
Currents of melody lift cool bottom waters to a surface glittering with light; then let them fall again, creating a texture of praise, a swirling of waters,
that look..
like..
laughter.
The sea is full of it.
A lone scraggily seagull breaks the ocean surface, hungrily skimming the frothy foam.
In drinking, he becomes infected with a joy-filled melody. He is now an instrument of worship.
Satisfied.
Evaporation giggles, knowing exactly what she is doing. She lifts an entire wind section and throws it into the sky!! Hands clasped across her belly, she wails with laughter as the skyward section condenses; raining gleefully back, onto and into, the earth.
Satisfied.
On a tiny tropical island, a naked child ~ body beaded with sweat ~ plays in the
gentle surf. Noticing a stiff breeze, he throws his head back as if to catch it with his face.
As if he fully knows Evaporation’s business, his satisfaction radiates pleasure, his face a beacon of joy and gladness.
Satisfied.
A fur-clad fisherman slowly cuts through five feet of ice, then gently lowers his line. The small open in his parka hood accentuates tiny crinkles of joy that crease the skin around his eyes. Contentment saturates everything around him, in deep, peace-filled layers that belie harsh circumstances ~ proof that he too has been ocean-infected.
Satisfied.
A Midwest housewife opens a can of tuna and begins to laugh. Mystified, her
over-plump and sluggish children surround the table, their boredom painlessly
destroyed by gales of giddy thanksgiving.
Satisfied.
The epidemic continues without a cure. It is never satisfied.
From the depths to the heights, from the East to the East,
it spreads on until even the most remote star echoes back to earth ~
“TRUST IN THE LORD AND DO GOOD!
TRUST IN THE LORD AND DO GOOD!
TRUST IN THE LORD AND DO GOOD!
HE IS YOUR REFUGE AND STRONG TOWER.”
My seaweed self disappeared ~ it feels foreign and long ago.
Now I laugh with the joy of the Lord!
I am stronger than strength, bonded in love.
He is my Refuge and my Strong Tower.
And most importantly but seldom recognized,
He is my Joy-filled Playmate…
imparting authority, power, joy...
I understand this.
He likes
to play
with me. :^)
How simple. How positional. How personal. How powerful.
A PLAYMATE EXPERIENCE.
Simon says
“Do this!”
He stands in a spread eagle fashion ~
arms flung out wide, feet apart, head back with a wide grin.
I do it too.
Immediately I am in the “O” of God, my hands and toes
barely able to touch the walls.
There is a slight burning sensation on my right fingertips.
He says, “That (that point of contact) is REST.”
My hand absorbs what the living walls tell me about REST.
Not an absence of action, but an absence of stress and tension.
REST has no worry in it. As far as I can reach, as hard as I
can pull, I sense no fretting in REST. I think it might not be
allowed, as the Peace of mind is so absolute here. Just from
a tiny contact with my outstretched fingers, His Peace fills
my heart.
REST contains much freedom.
Freedom from fear.
Freedom to Peace.
He laughs and points to my right foot. “That is RESTRAIN.”
My head is clueless, so I concentrate on what enters my foot.
It pulses and vibrates up my leg… RESTRAIN is a limitation of
liberty. RESTRAIN is a great and mighty influence ~ strong
enough to control impulsive emotions.
RESTRAIN contains much freedom.
Freedom from thoughtless, selfish actions.
Freedom to Serve.
He is delighted with this game!
“Try your left foot,” He challenges. I lean into my left side and
send questions to my toes. “That is RESOLVE.” My brain is empty
again as I search for a weighty meaning. RESOLVE means to break
into separate parts in order to analyze, to change, to reform, to
transform. RESOLVE is to cause to decide, to determine, to reach
a firm and unwavering decision, to be fixed in purpose.
RESOLVE contains much freedom.
Freedom from leaning too hard on people for solutions.
Freedom to Trust.
“Your left hand,” He continued. The contact point here burned with
intensity. “That is RESIST.” Finality was in His voice, about RESIST.
“After you REST in Me, you become RESTRAINED and obedient. You learn
about putting self last. This is a very hard lesson and once learned, you
are halfway to RESOLVE. RESOLVE must come next. To be utterly
convinced, by yourself if need be, that I am the Lord and there is no other.”
RESIST is to stand firm against, to withstand and actually fend off the attacks
of a very real enemy. RESIST is to aggressively oppose and successfully fight
off evil.
RESIST contains much freedom.
Freedom from oppression.
Freedom to stand upright, firmly, securely
… where the absence of worry leads to REST.
I find myself spinning now, in this new “O” of God.
Cart-wheeling through this tunnel of “R” within His heart –
Repeating, expanding and embracing more deeply each time I spin.
Playmate can teach very serious, meaningful life lessons, can He not?
To learn from Him like this.
Who would’ve guessed?
Who could’ve dreamed?
How simple. How positional. How personal. How powerful.
And now (He never tires) He’s asking if I want to see REST, RESTRAIN, RESOLVE and RESIST in the throne room. “There are four of them, you see, and FOUR is a very important throne-room concept. Do you want to go? To see? To play??”
Who would’ve thought?
Who can resist?
No one can…. RESIST… Him.
You can REST on that.
