Walls

I build walls not to keep people out, but to see who loves me enough to climb over. This is a paraphrase from a teen friend. I tried finding the original quote and I found something similar, but I like hers better....and I couldn't find a name to attribute the saying to....so I'll use hers.

This was at the end of one of our Tuesday middle-school lunches. I had some time to think it over while I picked up crushed cereal pieces (ah-hem, ladies) off the floor. First of all, I felt honored that she chose to tell me. Next, I felt.....sad. Sad because I think how often have I not climbed the wall? Not just hers...but other walls as well. Sad to think that sometimes without meaning to I have built a wall and probably pushed someone away.

Sometimes when I come to lunch and lay out food, the girls swarm to the table like piranhas! Sometimes there are whines of "I didn't get any!" They move and the table is mostly empty. I think why do I do this? It takes time, it can get kind of expensive and would they even show up if there wasn't food?!?!?! That's kind of how I felt when I got there recently....and then I hear the girls start talking to each other. Then one or two talk to me and we get into some really serious concerns. Occasionally, I get hugs before they walk out the door...or one comes back for something and makes a little comment that may not seem like a big deal, but it is.

Everybody needs somebody that is willing to scale that wall. It may be a wall of hurt, pain, self-preservation or hiding from being close or letting someone else actually see the real princess (or the monster....depending on the day!) that lives behind that wall. How often have I tried once, not got over and given up?

As a parent, there have been days when I have been too tired, too complacent or too busy to attempt to climb my kid's wall. I need to stop making excuses. There are only so many days and ways that we will be given the chance to get over the wall our kids often build.

We can try to batter down the wall....and find another wall. We can try to climb over the wall, find it too difficult or time consuming....and give up. We can look for cracks in the wall. We can take time to build a ladder that will eventually let us see over the wall.  We can hope to be lucky enough on some days to find the secret door and be asked in without having to climb over. THOSE are days to cherish!

I urge you to do whatever you can to see past, climb over, get through the wall even if it takes numerous tries. Our kids are SO worth it!

Since kids learn by example, take a look at yourself too. Do you have a wall your kids can't get over?

Hebrews 11:30 (NLT) It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down.

Pray and have faith that whatever walls you may encounter they can come crashing down....even if they have been there for years!

And we don't do it alone......

Ephesians 2:14-15 (NLT)
14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. 15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups.

Concrete Faith

Hebrews 11: 1-2 The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.
3 By faith, we see the world called into existence by God's word, what we see created by what we don't see. (MSG)

I have a problem with judging distance....always have as far as I know. Overall, this has not caused too many problems except some with driving and parking (as my family will attest to!) :) One of my biggest problems has always been with parking ramps. I try to avoid them at all costs.

For the last week, my mom has been in the hospital. The hospital has a parking ramp. A couple of days during the week, I had no choice but to park in the ramp (and bonus, the hospital validates so it's free). The first day, I cautiously approached the ramp. I drive a van. The bar hangs at 7'. My head knows that in most ramps, the van will fit. My eyes tell me a different story. My eyes make me think that I will be bashing my way through IF I get in at all.

I have had to learn that my eyes are not always my most accurate source of information. Sometimes I need to lean on the fact that there is more to something than what my eyes see. As I was pulling into the ramp that first day, I was reminded that faith is often like that and I remembered the above verse. There are many versions. Basically, it boils down to the fact that faith is not based on what we see. It is believing in what we don't/can't/won't see.

Our family has had to have a lot of faith over the past week. Faith that God has the best interest of our mom as his main focus. We knew that whatever happened she was going to be fine. She still will. She's one of the main reasons for my faith. This week just reminded me that faith is much more firm and structured than I thought and had been feeling.

Faith is what my heart knows, but my head (logic) and eyes try to convince me otherwise. Keep your eyes and heart open for those little ways that God uses to let you know he's there. One other way last week? A car moved over in front of me on one of those rough days. The license plate? LORDGOD I smile.

Gotta have faith.....By faith,.... Anyway

No, I don't mean the George Michael/Wham kind of faith (Wow, fly back to the 80's!). The song will probably be back around thanks to the Eli Stone show. I just listened to the whole song again (and watched the video). Yikes! I used to sing the words and not even think about them. DEFINITELY not the kind of faith, faith, faith I'm thinking of!

I'm thinking the Hebrews 11 kind of faith.

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Many of the verses in this chapter begin with "by faith". In fact, the NIV version lists "by faith" over 20 times in 40 verses! Some of the things and people mentioned "by faith": Creation, Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses’ parents, Moses, Israelites, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets. Looking at these names, I realized these were not perfect people. Many of them had messed up, but still had faith that God would be with them during their times of trouble.

Reading on, I discovered a surprising fact.

Hebrews 11:13-16 (NIV) 13All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Hebrews 11:39 (NIV) These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.

How often do we believe that if we live by faith that entitles us to what God promises? We are blessed, definitely. I believe that part of the reason we do not receive ALL that has been promised is because we still live in a fallen world. If life was so great here, would we yearn to eventually go to our promised, much better forever home?

Another version I read mentioned not receiving the prize at the end of the race until we finish the race. We're still running the race, the prize lies ahead. Run on, one step at a time, to the prize! :)

Sometimes we get glimpses, unexpected blessings, prizes along the way. A few weeks ago, I was treated to time with my mom and a Martina McBride concert. I did not realize how much I would enjoy the concert and her many songs.

The following link is to her video for Anyway. Kind of follows the faith theme. Believe anyway, even when it doesn't make sense, even when you don't see the prize right now. Have faith in what you can't see. We don't "see" the wind either, but we know it's there and we feel it's power!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uLtyzRgmyI