I've mentioned before that God talks to me through some strange things at times...well...my mind is currently expanding again (that's how it feels...sometimes when this happens I think I can almost feel things moving around up there; making room for a greater awareness of one thing or another) and I wanted to share.
Last night I was sort of watching, and mostly listening to this cartoon movie while I was working on a project. There was this character in the movie...he was a "half-Barron" and he had this little mosquito the rode around on his shoulder. This mosquito was annoying to the guy, he was smelly and gross, and he also, as mosquitoes do, drank the guys blood. The man had been cursed...because of his extreme pride... and the only way to remove the mosquito from his shoulder was that the man had to agree with the mosquito...just once... about anything. When asked why he wouldn't just agree with the mosquito on something to get rid of this nuisance, he replied that he was far too important to lower himself to agreeing with a tiny mosquito.
I didn't pay a lot of attention to that, other than thinking it was a bit silly, until a scene in the movie when the half-Barron - in a moment where the group is being threatened - says that he will be in charge and save the group. Then the mosquito agrees, yes, the half-Barron should be in charge. Then...with the enemy closing in, the half-Barron emphatically declares that he is not in charge and will not be in charge. So the group is standing there, threat looming...until the mosquito says something along the lines of "ok...you are a horrible choice for a leader" at which point the half-Barron decides to be the leader again and helps the group.
Now... I had to run that back and watch that scene play out a second time so that I could pay attention to it...he was willing to allow himself and the group to be harmed just so that he didn't have to agree with this mosquito! That started some things rolling around and I felt this question bloom in my mind "what nasty parasites am I carrying around all because I don't want to 'lower myself' to acknowledge their presence?"
What stinky have I become so accustomed to carrying with me that rarely smell them? Jealousy is pretty stinky... do I allow it to leave a displeasing odor on me and drive a wedge between myself and others? What about all those self-depreciating thoughts...those don't smell that great. If I don't confront those and replace them with the truth of what God says about me...they can make me smell so bad that it will affect every relationship I have. Or anger...all those outbursts - even if they are just in my mind - when someone frustrates me while I'm being the best driver ever.
The list goes on...and I could put quite a few things here, let's be honest, we all could...but I think another important point in dealing with all those stinky things is this: what you focus on becomes your focus. So if I am trying to up-root one of those smelly things from my life... beating myself up about it and asking "what's wrong with me that I still struggle with _______" isn't going to help much. Focusing on the truth of who God has made me to be, on the other hand, seems to be the quickest method of bringing that truth into fruitfulness in my life.
The thing is... all these smelly little things...they grow over time... I think it's sort of like a garden...I have to tend the garden of my heart and pull up those little stink-weeds as soon as they sprout. Their goal is to choke out joy, peace, love, and every other good-smelling thing that God helps me to plant there. When I cultivate and tend those positive, life-bringing things... that also goes a long way towards keeping the stinky ones at bay.
I have another mind-expanding blog swirling around up there...but I'll save it for another day. :)
The movie I am referring to is Hero Quest...I'm not trying to steal their story, just use a small part that I thought was powerful. ;)
No comments:
Post a Comment