Leave it at the Curb

There is much struggle in this world. And not one of us is immune. I can barely stand to watch the local news, though I do want to know what is happening in my city.

This morning at church (if you read yesterday’s blog, yes, we went to church again this morning. When Noah plays in the band, we are true groupie parents and enjoy worshipping with him a second time. And most likely, we could use another sermon.) Back to this morning at church; the pastor talked about Jesus being the ultimate warrior. He fought for the poor and needy and sick and outcast. Though he also fought for the tax collectors and the higher ups and knew they needed redemption, as well. As do we all.

The sermon biblical reference was from the book of Mark when Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee in a boat and laid his head on a pillow of sorts for a little snooze. The winds and waves shortly terrified the other boaters and they begged Jesus to do something about it. Which he did. Jesus to the rescue. Always.

However, the bigger part of the story is upon what Jesus was resting his weary head. Our pastor inferred that it may have been clothing. Jesus knew he was about to encounter a broken, tossed aside, naked, demon possessed, pitiful man. And after Jesus brought him to healing, he would need some clothing. I love that. Jesus is in the details, not the devil. That saying needs to change.

This morning the pastor reminded us that problems are not just problems that others have brought upon us or we have created or that we ran into an unlucky streak or we were born this way or whatever bajillion things we say. Because God knitted us together in our mother’s wombs, because He know us, our problems cannot be disconnected from Him.

Our problems/issues/hangups/anger/timidity/fear/relationships/things are spiritual problems.

Aw crap! Does everything have to be spiritual? Um, yeah, I’m afraid so. That may not sound greatly encouraging.

There have been moments (and most likely will be again) I was quite sure that the ugly, annoying, unfair, aggravating, painful obstacles on my path were due to someone else. That may very well be true because someone else is broken, too. That person, place or thing that is causing me grief is a spiritual issue. The way I allow it to affect me is a spiritual issue. And what I choose to do about it is a spiritual issue.

No amount of shopping, drinking, pills, books, fighting or hot fudge sundaes will fix it (darn). Placing ourselves humbly before God and unstrapping that huge, murky, impenetrable heavy load is the only answer. As the ‘prophet’ Jackson Browne sang: “Leave it at the curb and we’ll just roll away.”

Leave it and then expect change. Say thank you for the answer that is coming. Call God out on it. He can take it. Wait for it. And if the change occurs only within your heart and mind, isn’t that everything?