Little Girl Rise
Talitha koum, He calls. “Little girl rise” (Mark 5:41). Enter in healing. Enter in the call to stand. Enter in wounded no more. Enter in, Jesus. Enter in the call to rise and be healed.
The Gospel of Mark tells the story of a twelve year old girl who died. Jesus saw a commotion, and immediately entered into the disarray. He asked what was happening. They told Him the little girl had died. He told them she was just asleep.
What did they do? They laughed at Him. So what did He do? He put them out and with three of the disciples and the parents, they entered into the area where the little girl lay. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (Which means, little girl rise.)
What did she do? It says that the little girl immediately stood up and began to walk around. He then told the others to give her something to eat along with strict orders to not let anyone know about this.
I suppose once you’ve been laughed at, it would not be a good plan to tell of a miracle that just went down…or one could risk being mocked once again. Jesus was wise in what He ordered, and as I’m no theologian, rather just one in the trenches of life, I suppose I would look at this as wisdom at its finest. Why? Because Jesus protects…that’s why He came, that’s why He had rules in place, and that’s why He gave His life. He did all things out of protection and if He ordered them not to tell, you can bet it was for their greater good…for their protection.
Protection is a beautiful thing. We always feel much safer when we have healthy boundaries in place. After all, it’s safe to drift when we’re anchored. Tethered to wisdom it offers safety to launch. When the buoy’s in place we swim more freely because we know the area is all netted off…and it is safe.
Moorings offer security and allow us to wade into the deep. Deep down we know when it’s safe to wander because we know to whom we are anchored. We can set sail knowing due north is homeward bound because the compass says so. We can rely on the compass.
At times the internal needle spins on the compass. New norms pull us into testing the ties that bind. Toes in water set ripples to wander out like radar. How far can we go without causing .waves? The ripple effect falls on others as we test the waters. Time spent drifting from shore lures us into the swirling waters of confusing temptation.
Yet, He is in the storm. He is in the boat. He is the anchor, and the buoy and the net all in one. He is the water. Life giving waters they are as “He is the One who was and is and is to come” (Matt. 11:3). He is “the Alpha and the Omega, the Fist and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Rev. 22;13) He is who He says He is. When He calls, we can rise because He anchors. “He is our refuge. He is our strength. He is our ever present help in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1). And we may rise knowing He is the One who not only lifts us, but carries us. Amen.
Retreat Recap
I attended an on-line retreat and wanted to share a take away or two. What I learned combed out a few snarls in my mind and I am hoping it will snag a few snarls out of yours as well.
One of the leaders said this. “God accepts us for who we are, and sees us as He created us to be. In turn, He asks us to accept Him for who He is, not a made up version of who we think He is or who we want Him to be for us.”
Let’s unpack that statement. To begin with, I’ll use myself as an illustration.
You, the readers of this article, see me as a columnist. My grandkids see me as grandma on the other side of the screen smiling and excited to see them. My kids still see me in the light of an eye-roll or two, and the cleaning crew at church sees me as the one who scrubs the bathrooms. As my husband sees me living beyond each of these areas, his view is broader as to who I actually am in light of the limited view others may have of me.
Better still is how God sees me. He sees me not as I am but as He created me to be. He waits patiently as I grow in various areas of my life. God is also fully aware that I am not always aware of my need for Him. Without Him I can do nothing, and He knows how many times I not only forget that, but have danced off in directions I had no business going. Being imperfect this side of the veil is what I’m really good at, and He knows that, too. Yet, He loves me fiercely and continues to rescue me from the holes I dig myself into. Why? Because that is who God is.
Now, let’s move to the other half of that statement…the part about us accepting God for who He is and not who we think He is, or the made up version of who we want Him to be.
God reveals Himself and who He is in His Word. Although we can misinterpret, He remains true to who He is. Knowing who He truly is helps us see who He truly is not. Sometimes, it’s subtle when Truth is twisted, other times, not so much.
Here are some examples from the great accuser who lies for a living. The father of lies tries to get our hearts to plug into versions of the truth that have nothing to do with Truth. Today in our culture these may sound good, but they are not very sound. Have you heard any of these?
“I could never worship a god who doesn’t love and accept everyone.”
“I could never worship a god who will send people to hell.”
“I could never worship a god who causes so much suffering.”
“God didn’t really mean that. Things have changed. Things are different now.”
Can you hear an audacious culture breathing heavy, accusing God of acting how they perceive Him to be? Can you hear the twisting of truth to make the One who loves us, sound as though He does not? Can you hear the mimicking sound of hoof-beats trying desperately to stomp out the Way, the Truth, and the Light? Can you hear the non-truths being boldly spit upon the One who was spat upon on behalf of all mankind?
These accusations are from the same one who tempted Eve to not trust in what God said. It is the same one challenging us to not trust Him today. The father of lies made Eve’s heart question the things God said. As the father of lies tactics haven’t changed, he makes our hearts question the things God said, too. Not only do we question, we rewrite the script to fit our needs.
According to the retreat directors, the God who loved us enough to make us in His image and likeness…is now the one on trial. Why? I’ll let you be the judge of that. What little I know is that we can only see clearly through the lens scripture and by examining our own hearts. The best part of this is He has already cross examined each heart and took it to the cross. Therein lies the Truth and the Truth does not lie.
When we listen by “praying attention” to His Word, no longer will the culture be able to toss us to-and-fro like waves upon the sea.
Who God is, is who He reveals Himself to be in His Word, not by the words of others who not only misperceive Him, but misrepresent Him. In a culture where words are merely parroted among the throngs, may you not be shaken.
“To know His Word is to know His ways” ( Fr. Mike Schmitz, Bible in a Year Retreat). Amen.
