The Fairytale God
Thomas Nast’s most famous drawing, “Merry Old Santa Claus”, from the January 1, 1881 edition of Harper’s Weekly. Thomas Nast immortalized Santa Claus’ current look with an initial illustration in an 1863 issue of Harper’s Weekly, as part of a large illustration titled “A Christmas Furlough” in which Nast set aside his regular news and political coverage to do a Santa Claus drawing. The popularity of that image prompted him to create another illustration in 1881. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Where is the fairytale God; the one that was taught to us in Sunday school? The one we depended upon in our childhood, adolescence and young adult lives.
I so wished the fairytale God was real. I so wished I could experience the miracles, found in the Holy Scriptures, that God showered on others and was told could happen to me if I just believed.
But I am older now and I have learned there’s no fairytale God; like I learned there’s no Santa Claus. Such are the cruel fantasies that adults inflict on children to keep them well-behaved and yes, to give hope.
Oh, I still believe in God. I just don’t believe in the Santa Claus God; you know the one that fulfills all my requests and prayers. If I am really honest, Santa did not fulfill all wishes either. Yes, I still believe in God, but not the one that grants my every wish.
I believe in a God that allows me to experience life, with all its pleasure and pain. I believe in a God that cries when I cry. I believe in a God that is hoping and cheering for me as I take every step in this life. I believe in a God that can’t wait to receive me in His arms when I am ready to “come home.” I believe in God, a God who fights along my side to defeat evil, one day at a time.
I believe like the Apostle Paul that we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but in time we will see everything with perfect clarity. “All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now” (1 Corinthians 13:12).
Yes, some will say that I still believe in a fairytale God, but that’s okay because this God keeps me going when times get tough. I believe in a God who promises to be with me to the end of my time and that’s all the miracle I need.
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…Yet Your Footsteps Were Not Seen
The waters saw you, O God, the waters saw you and writhed…Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked…yet your footsteps were not seen (Psalms 77:16, 18,19).
Even when I don’t sense your presence, I know I must trust. Trusting gives me hope. Hope keeps me going. All is borne from memories past: the testimonies of others, the sense of your past presence and yes, the little miracles experienced.
My vision may be clouded and my ears plugged, but still I have the assurance that I can trust you. Yes, even when I do not sense your presence; for I remember the promise you made to me many years ago—“I will be with you until the end of your time.”
If I could only quiet the noise in my head and the distress in my heart; maybe then I can remember that promise anew and hear your footsteps once again.
So now I trust and wait and hope as I live out your promise in faith. I remain faithful this Good Friday, with the hope I have in you, as I awake anew on Easter Sunday.
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The Beatitude (You Are Blessed, vs. 9)
Blessed Are The Peace Maker (Beatitudes #7) (Photo credit: loswl)
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God (Matthew 5: 9).
You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family (The Message).
It is not important to be the first person at the food table. There’s plenty for everyone. Nor, is it important to “always be right.” It’s good to hear ideas from others. Another person may have a better idea, a more efficient and effective idea to increase life’s bounty and to improve life’s comfort.
Cooperation will ensure that all benefit, not just a few. Cooperation assures that we all benefit from God’s earthly blessings.
Are you a peacemaker, if so, lead the way? We are counting on you.
Related articles
- The Beatitudes (You Are Blessed, vs 7) (faithscape.net)
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The Beatitudes (You Are Blessed, vs. 8)
Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God (Matthew 5:8 NIV).
“You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world” (Matthew 5:8, The Message).
Do you feel blessed? It is difficult, at times, to say that we are blessed when life circumstances keep us down and when another prayer, the one we prayed 364 days prior, seemed to go unanswered.
Guess what, despite the circumstances of life, despite those who try to control us and to dictate how we should think, feel, live and respond to our world, and despite those days when our “faith is dry and prayer seems useless”* we are blessed.
How is that you say? We are blessed because our Savior Jesus, who understands the unpredictability of this world (see Mark 14:32-41), advocates for us daily. In this season of Lent, we are reminded of Jesus’ sacrifice. We are reminded that even when our minds and emotions are fragile, frayed or frustrated; when our faith is weak, when it is hard to believe in a God, much less see God; the Spirit prays for us (Roman 8:26-27).
It is all right to feel that your mind and emotions are fragile. It is all right not to feel that you have a “pure heart” because Jesus paid the price to help our doubts. I was reminded about the man who said to Jesus, “I do believe help me overcome my unbelief” (Mark 9:24)!
Jesus knows what it is like to be human; therefore, His grace fills the gaps in our faith. It overrides our shortcomings. God’s grace can’t be undone by an emotional outburst or doubt. So rejoice that God loves us enough to have given us the grace of Jesus Christ.
Let us pray: God, we thank you for loving us in our anger, in our doubts and providing us an avenue, through the Holy Spirit, to speak our needs to you when we cannot. Thanks for reminding us that we are in your care and yes, we will see you. Amen.
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*Sacred Space, The Prayer Book 2012, p.91)
Related articles
- The Beatitudes (You Are Blessed, vs 5) (faithscape.net)
- The Beatitudes (You Are Blessed, vs 7) (faithscape.net)
- The Beatitudes (You Are Blessed, vs 6) (faithscape.net)
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The Next Step
Do you ever struggle about your future; especially, as it relates to your call? Well, here’s a prayer that may help. Repeat several times out loud several days a week.
I will be optimistic about my future because I know God wants the best for me. I will be an optimist about my future because I choose to be. I have the power to create my future. I can choose how hard to work, where I will live and who will be a part of my future.
I can be assured of what my future holds because I have the gift of memory; the memory of how God blessed me in the past and the assurance that God is with me now and will be with me in the future.
So even though I am now weary, filled with tears, I know that in the morning I will sing the pilgrim song of joy (Psalm 126:4-6, The Message) as God brings rain to my drought-stricken life… to a future life filled with laughter and armloads of blessing.
Amen.
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The Beatitudes (You Are Blessed, vs 7)
Image via Wikipedia
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy (Matthew 5:7, NIV).
You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for (Matthew 5:7, The Message)
The message is so simple that it can be easily overlooked. Special blessings always come when we care for others. If we help others we may get a respite from our own struggles. In fact, we often find out how blessed we are.
There’s something intrinsic about caring for others and giving back. It often comes with special warmth in our heart and soul. When we care for others, we are cared for; respite for now, but possible greater rewards await. The idea of paying it forward comes to mind.
Jesus denied self to save humankind. Let us deny a little of our pain, joylessness and busyness to relieve the pain of others. When we do so we go a long way in bringing peace to someone in this world and isn’t this what it is all about—being there for others.
The value of sharing oneself is the ultimate modeling of Christian living. Let us pledge to do more of this in 2012.
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Tony Crisp
I want to transform leaders; primarily, leaders in our faith communities. I feel sharing one's faith journey and reviewing biblical and spiritual stories offer credible and viable examples of great leaders who transformed our world. More details about my training and consultant capabilities can be found at www.upwardedge.com.
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