from Ron Rose
February 25, 2008

Preparation

There is always more… the Good Book says God prepares a table for us in the presence of your enemies. We will always have enemies that want to rob us, to threaten us, to reject us, and keep us from enjoying life as God intended. There will always be danger ahead.

Now, here’s the secret for faith giants: God doesn’t remove our enemies; he throws a party for us in their presence.

This is not exactly a popular part of his strategy. I remember a number of times when I would have willingly skipped the party and settled for God to send a serious disaster into Enemyland. I have prayed for God to rescue me, to “kill” the enemies, to turn back the clock, to settle the score … but he didn’t.

He did something better.

I have close friends who have invested incredible energy avoiding new opportunities and challenges; they think it’s spiritual to avoid enemies. They don’t climb on the horse, because they don’t want to fall off again. Risk has become a rival. For them spirituality is all about safety and piety and quiet normality.

The shallow end of the pool is filled with normal people who want to be safe, to be comfortable, to splash the water but stay clear of the deep. These normal people may appear religious, they may go to church regularly, but without risk, without danger, they will miss the life that God intends. They will become pretenders, posers.

Real faith-people have enemies, they face struggles, their crisis times are painful, but God is there… and at just the right time he works a miracle, he shows up, his presence transforms sadness into gladness. Then just as the party begins to wind down, a new twist in the plot is introduced. There is always another episode, more challenges, other enemies, and more parties.

So, what’s next for you?

Inspiration

Within weeks Pam’s new stepfather began sexually abusing her; the world of childhood innocence tragically disappeared before she turned seven.

“Early on,” Pam recalled, “my mother bought a Bible from a Bible salesman. She said it looked nice on the coffee table. She told me never to touch it, but when she was out of the house I would read it. I started talking to God everyday. I prayed that if God loved me, He would take me to live with him.”

By the time Pam began Junior High her mother had grown dangerously psychotic, regularly beating her and threatening her with knives. But, Pam never told a soul. It was her secret.
“At 19, I was still living at home, but sneaking off to church when I could. On the day I was baptized I felt happy for the first time in my life,” Pam remembered.

“Somehow my mother found out. She flew into a fit of rage, grabbed a butcher knife and chased me down the street screaming that she was going to kill me. I was terrified. I ran into the night with no shoes, no money and no place to go. I spent that night hiding in the bushes and never went back.”

Pam escaped that night with her life, but rejection followed her for years. First her parents, then her first husband, her doctors and finally her church.

Then at 45 years-of-age Pam was put on a new treatment for Severe Psychotic Depression and for the first time felt what others call “normal.” “I was overjoyed with being normal. It felt so good. Now I had a place to rest. I finally learned that God loves me no matter how messy things get. But, trust is tough to learn, if you grew up with lies and rejection. I still feel broken and defective on the inside.” She explained. “So, I live each day hiding it and hoping it doesn’t pop up.”

“So Ron,” she wrote, ”I want to stay where I am. I like “normal” even if it’s tenuous. How could I ever be better than normal? I don’t want more surprises, more adventure, more pain, or more unexpected challenges. Just give me peaceful, comfortable, normal.”

“But Pam, there is so much more,” I said. “You have become a star in God's story and he wants to throw a party for you.”

Motivation

The plot continues. Are you holding your place on the sidelines? Are you splashing in the shallows? Are you sinking deep into the comfort couch? Remember, God never promised comfort.

Your life is not about you: it’s all about him. The plot line is his. It’s his story, his adventure, his fingerprints, his mysteries, his love, his forgiveness, his surprises, and his grace.

You are a player in the story still being written. The plots are never ending, but the parties are “to die for.”

Ask God for new perspective. Tell him you are ready to be a life-player, ready to party in the presence of your enemies, ready to live so that he looks good. Tell him you are ready for the next chapter… there is always more…