New Things

It is one of those amazing moments here in the sparrow's perch, when the goodness of God washes over me in waves of joy, and love. His presence is sweet this morning, and the sweet oil of revelation is a delicate perfume that causes me to breathe deeper and deeper. Everything is slowing down and things I was unaware of before are being magnified to my senses.

I'm usually enthralled with the skitter and chatter of the sparrows outside my window, but today everything seems to be coming from inside the office. The hum of the computer fan, the tic-toc of my clock on the mantle, the occasional creak of the building as the wood joists and beams respond to the cool morning air I'm letting in. I only wish my right ear wasn't so damaged from years in the Air Force. A soft continual hum is testament to the arrogance of youth, and the foolishness of rebellion. Though I often wore ear protection, I as often did not. I am paying the price, now.

Even sparrows grow old and die, and I am growing old.

But, enough of that, let's get back to the revelation he gave me this morning. I love Wednesdays. I look forward to Wednesday night services like a child looks forward to getting candy. Wednesday nights are often a better service than Sunday mornings, mainly because I feel freer to skitter and chatter about within the presence of God. I don't know why that is, but at least that's the way it is here. One of the things I've asked the Lord to do in my life of late, is to help me to lay aside the things I think I know about him, and have him enthrall me with what I don't. What's laughable about that, is most people who know me, will tell you that I'm a pretty open guy about spiritual things. Yet, I keep discovering that I am not limited by what I know about him, but by what I don't know. And, at the same time, what I know about him forms the paradigm that keeps me from discovering more of him. Like the little sparrows outside my window, they fly to the same spot, go through the same holes, perch on the same wires, and violently protect their territory. I'm not different than they are. My reply to people when confronted with something new in the Lord, is; “That's not in the scriptures.”

Sad, little Pharisee that I am. Trust me, I'd not be any better than they.

Excuse me, Lord. I've never heard of any prophets spitting on the ground and making spit mud to rub in someone's eyes. And, what's with the wet willy thing while praying for someone's hearing to be restored? You show me in the law and the prophets where anyone ever blessed bread and fed five-thousand. And, turning water into wine? God just doesn't move that way. He wouldn't approve of sitting down with tax collectors, healing gentiles, or any of those things. It's not in the Word!

Even as free and open as I am, my expectations of what God will do are still couched within my experiences, and I'VE SEEN A LOT OF THINGS. I know all the right moves, all the right things to say, even know some crazy stuff my brothers and sisters in the Lord would cringe at. Still, my heart's cry this morning is that I will put away everything I think I know, and let God show me things I've never seen before. The problem is, I'm usually the crazy guy in our services. If I do something totally unexpected, people expect it. That's just David, you know how he is!

Hmmmm?

Anyway, I keep looking for that one person other than me who is willing to be shameless like king David. I want the opportunity to say; I will be even more undignified than this in God's presence. So, tonight I won't be looking for anyone else, I'll be looking for the Holy Spirit to show out. Not, for the show, but for the opportunity to show out with Him. I'm like that.