Enduring and Understanding the Contradictions of Life

Contradictions or Ironic circumstances seem to happen so often that I wonder why we consider them to be contradictory or ironic – yet we do. I think that is because we are caught up in sort of an alternate universe – where two things are constantly going on at the same time. There is, of course the natural world, which we can see, touch and explore. And then there is the spiritual world which is only accessed by those who have been spiritually enlivened. It takes a resurrected spirit-being, with reawakened spiritual sensitivities to be able to sense and explore the mysteries of that realm, which is superimposed over the “natural” realm at the “new birth” - a.k.a. “Salvation” experience.

This experience opens up a whole other world, previously not experienced by us. And it begins to turn things topsy turvy! It begins to cast a shadow over things which we previously thought to be okay, and begins to bring into focus things which were previously unseen! It is quite a ride. And can be more than a bit unsettling, until one begins to understand what is at work! The thing that is too often missed by the religious community is that this realm is not all about rituals and efforts on the part of man to clean himself up. It is about God's supernatural efforts to win/buy back his creation – who sold themselves into a hostage situation in Eden – and to then restore them to their original design! This is not going to be a “natural” event, nor can it be fully explained by our limited five sense scientific methodologies – which is much too frustrating a concept for those spiritually unenlightened. Meaning no insult to anyone, just stating mere logical (to the spiritual mind) facts. If you feel these statements to be illogical, fanciful, or insane, then you have just proven my point. But there are many seeming contradictions we face, which shake our faith, and which we must work to understand. Studying the Scripture with an open mind helps. And having access to His gracious Spirit which explains it to us, or demonstrates it for us, is also an absolute necessity in navigating this obstacle.

There is the seeming contradiction, for example, of working furiously – while feeling as though one is moving at a snail-like pace. There is also the seeming contradiction of KNOWING that one is being called to VERY big things – while feeling suffocated by an equally small budget and/or strength level!

There is the seeming contradiction of Knowing the Truth about the Healing Power of the Anointing – while suffering the “natural” breakdown of health, muscle tone, memory, eyesight, hearing, etc. in aging! There is the seeming contradiction of knowing that one can and should, “Have One's Strength RENEWED LIKE THE EAGLE'S” - but then realizing exactly what THAT rather arduous process involves! I keep using the word “seeming” because, as we will see, these things are not so much “Contradictions” as impetus for change. They are merely part of that process, which I like to refer to as Transformation. There is a great analogy in that imagery of the Eagle renewing its youth!

The Eagle must sequester itself within its nest – knock off its own beak on a rock (!), wait for that to grow back, then pull out its own talons (!), and THEN pull out ALL of its own feathers (!) – because they have become ragged, heavy and therefore obstructive to flight! When all of that has grown in brand new – then the Eagle has another 40 years or so to hunt, fly and live! So basically, its choices are to die young from worn out equipment – or suffer the pain of renewal!

We are facing a similar choice in our own lives! We can either go the natural way of just giving in to the aging processes. We can succumb to our tiredness and just sit down - which will result in the losing of what strength and vitality we do have! Or we can shake ourselves awake and get to work!

But some of the “WORK” involves just waiting on God to do things we can't! Which seems like another contradiction! Yet, it IS work to TRUST to this extent! No eagle can make its beak grow back! Meaning that it can just strain and pop that beak out. It can't go buy a new one that has been made for it! That ability is designed into its very make-up by its creator God! Also, we realize, with a bit of shock and awe, that the eagle can't eat or protect itself without that beak! Yet it trusts to God to keep until it safe until all is well again! And so must we! What we often miss, however, is that there is a proactive way to “just wait”! There are things which we can do while we are waiting! Rest. Worship. Trust. Resisting fretting. Resisting giving way to impatience. Etc. Another seeming contradiction. We tend to think of waiting as just hanging out hoping something will happen, or biding our time while we wait for our expectations to become reality, etc. Only multitaskers “DO” stuff while they are waiting right?! But no, again, there is a proactive and highly recommended way to wait upon God, for His perfect will and timing in our lives!

God has promised to bless us even to gray hair! He has promised that those who do choose to wait upon Him proactively – who have chosen to give up the natural ways of caring for themselves, who are willing to sequester themselves in the cleft of His Rock – which is Yeshua the Anointed One – to wait for HIS provision in their lives – WILL be RENEWED LIKE THE EAGLE! Meaning that everything of which we've suffered loss in our service to Him, will be replaced – made utterly new!

Therefore, I am expecting miraculous things! I am expecting my vision to be renewed, my strength, bones, finger nails, teeth and hair to be thicker, stronger, more abundant! My skin to resist wrinkles, and my joints to stay supple! I am expecting to be able to go, lift, work, and think as well as I ever did in my 30's and 40's! I expect to be given a new lease on life, and to go on in fruitful service for at least another 40 years, or however many the LORD should need to use me!

Right now, however, it doesn't look like that! Right now I am enduring situations and circumstances which seem to be the contradictions of those expectations. We are sitting here, sequestered, no one knows where we are, who the heck we are, or what the heck we're doing - (or how in the world we could expect to get anywhere from here? For that matter)! And we don't really know either! But God has a plan. He brought us here. His design for our lives predisposed us to this place. It was inevitable. Transformation is like that.

People seem to forget – or somehow utterly miss the awareness of – the reality that this life is a thorough renovation process – not a prolonged vacation – or wait at the bus station on the vehicle that will transport us to glory!!! They somehow completely miss the fact this renovation process – which is to transform them utterly, and restore them to the creators original design – is not a microwave, instantaneous, ethereal kind of work! They somehow miss the idea that – just as renovating a kitchen - to have the joy of a renovated space they must endure the contradiction and inconvenience of first uprooting the OLD stuff! What a mess! And how long it takes to get it all right again. But then the peace and joy of the NEW (space, character, etc.) is SO worth it.

So let's hang in there and find HIS abundant Grace His processes! (Which IS what GRACE is for, by the way!) Let's do mount up with wings like Eagles – that is, Right after we get those new feathers!

L'Chaim! & Shalom Chavarim!

SCD

5/10/16