Startling Events

My dear neighbors/landlords. They are an awesome little couple, but they startle me more than most. I think it's because they are slight and I never here them coming. :) Now that my hands have stopped trembling a bit, I can type enough to explain.

Just now, I kept hearing what sounded like a smoke alarm going off. But it would happen once and stop. And not like that consistent start-stop you get when the battery is low. I knew it wasn't our alarm, but it was too loud to be downstairs. I opened the door to see what was going on in the hallway, and, behold, there was my landlord on his ladder right in front of my face!

Then there was the story about the intestines. Okay, not really, but kind of. So I was in the hall putting my shoes on. We are on the top floor, but there is a staircase leading to the roof right by our door. I don't usually look up there as there's not much to see, but on this occasion, my eyes wandered. I drew back in horror and, ok, I may have cursed, when I saw what looked like body parts hanging from the ceiling!!!

I guess the landlords were drying meat or something, which soon dawned on me, but I was definitely rattled. I looked again and saw it for what it was.

So why do I tell you these things? Because there's a lesson :) Sometimes we are startled by things that are not scary at all. My landlord is not a scary person; he was just fixing something for us. And meat is not scary. It doesn't pose a threat to me in any way. So why be afraid?

Because it reminds me of something else that is scary. Having someone right in front of my door, unexpected, may bring back memories of times unsavory characters have tried to break in to my living space (happened twice that I can recall). Meat hanging from the ceiling makes me think of those creepy movies I am ashamed to say I have watched here and there (I'm thinking "The Devil's Advocate"). I recoil in horror at something that could actually be good!

This is how it can be with love. God's love, love that calls us to be open and vulnerable with others. Maybe the last time we were that open, we got hurt. Maybe someone in our past who was a father-figure like God is, was unkind to us, or maybe he was not there. We see Father God and shield ourselves (whether a little or a lot), not knowing He only wants to take perfect care of us. Jesus says in the Bible that God gives us GOOD things and ONLY good things. He says to the people He's talking to, "Which of you, if your son asks for fish, would give him a snake?" He goes on to say how if we, being imperfect, give good gifts to our kids, how much more would God who is perfect!

So let's not draw back. He loves you so much, and He just wants to help you. The only risk is letting go of the security blankets in our lives that are doing nothing but destroying us (the defensive attitudes, the cynicism, the hard exterior, the willingness to comply with people to please them). His love is understanding, deep, rich, alive, and excellent. Rest assured.

Good night,
Me.