Monday, June 15, 2009

The Ball.

I went home for lunch today and turned on the tube. Found my girl Beth and was so stoked. She was on Life Today talking about a series they are promoting. Beth was sharing about one of her dogs--those sweet dogs that have taught so many women about our own habits and the character of Jesus--and how the pooch was so obsessed with the ball she loved that she constantly took the ball everywhere in her mouth. For example, if she wanted to get a drink from the quality spring called Le Toilet, she would push the ball out of her mouth for a quick slurp and then have to patter around the bowl in order to get her ball back. She would take it inside, outside, upside and downside. That ball went where the dog went.

Beth then said she realized that she was much like her pup because she had things in her life from which she could not let go. Much like the ball, she was carrying the hurt or unforgiveness or pain or frustration or habitual sin or anger wherever she went, consumed by its' presence and unable to let it go, even for a few seconds.

As I sat there, I felt the Lord prompt me...

Lauren, what is your ball? He asked in that sweet still small voice.


eh, which one, Lord? I responded in a slightly less graceful voice.


There are things in our lives that we allow to consume our time, energy, money and resources.

BUT


Those things don't deserve our time, energy, money, and resources. Yet we continue to feed on this unhealthy obsession until it takes on a life of its own.


I read this quote in a fiction book a month ago:

"You're a child of the Most High God. You just don't realize it. You keep eating out of the garbage bin when you could be at the banquet." Double Minds by Terri Blackstock


So whaddya say we quit dumpster diving and show up at the table of the Lord?






I know you are thinking, Oh fiddlesticks--now I have to be different. But girl (or fella), you got the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of you!! You can do ANYTHING.




I wouldn't tell you all this if I didn't love you more than the St. Louis Cardinals and baby dolphins.

7 comments:

Kathryn @ Expectant Hearts said...

I like Mondays. You always (well, often anyway) have something good for me on Monday.. Thanks!

Christy said...

Girl....you convicted me with this post!!! i needed to hear JUST that today. As always...Thanks! Love Ya =) btw...I got our women of faith tickets today!!!

Unknown said...

I like that analogy - so awesome. Thanks for sharing! Oh, and um, GO CARDS!!!!

Unknown said...

Thank you for sharing this post today! It spoke to my heart and I needed to read your words.

Blessings!

Lauren said...

AMEN!!! I love Beth and her sweet pooches! I loved this post ... now it's time for me to do some searching and let God tell me what my ball is (there's probably more than one...). Thank you Jesus for the Holy Spirit! Put on the full armor of God and LETS GO!

CJ King said...

Hey Lauren- Hope you are well. Just wanted to drop you a line and let you know you are an encouragement!!

Becky said...

Lauren I love your post! My bff's and I are doing a summer study by Beth called Living Free and we are starting week one. Beth has been talking about strongholds in our life and how we need His "weapons" and their divine power to demolish them! His weapons being His Word and Prayer. She talked about how us trying to get rid of our strongholds is like a demolition crew showing up with sticks and stones to demolish a building. They can yell at the building and throw their sticks and stones, but it isn't coming down. It takes dynamite - which are His Word and Prayer to demolish those strongholds in our lives - we cannot do it alone. I guess our strongholds are just like the "ball". Thanks for sharing!