I am a wizard....I must be. When I awake in the morning, I call forth light to illuminate my surroundings. I summon forth water to bathe my body. I create, with the touch of my finger, the wonderful morning elixir which has the magical effect upon my body of arousing my senses. I command the very air in my home to bend to my will, to heat itself until I am sufficiently warmed. I sit before the mystical box and call forth disembodied images to entertain me. With the simple tapping of my finger, I am able to communicate with anyone I desire wherever they may reside. I sit within my magical chariot and float along the surface of the world to whatever destination I choose...I must be a wizard!
I am a King...I must be. I walk into a room and people I do not know rush to serve me. They are careful to choose pleasing tones lest I become agitated. They offer to serve me whatever delicacy I desire and prepare it to my preferences. They stand at a distance, eyes focused upon me, and move quickly to attend to my needs before they even arise. Within my estate I have many rooms, each with their own specific purpose. I have a sleeping quarters designed to provide the optimum environment conducive to my slumber. I have a room designed for the storage and preparation of my meals. I have a dining room that stands empty, but which can entertain my royal guests when I so desire. I have an opulently furnished room specifically for lounging, with plush seating made of fine animal skins. My royal offspring each have their own living quarters designed to their particular preference. I have a room within my quarters for the storage of my royal garments, the number of which cannot be estimated. Even my chariot has its own room within my palace...I must be a king!
While this may sound far fetched, upon closer examination most of us would agree that such statements ring true. But within such a world, when does our need for God surface? As we rush to and fro, convinced of our own importance and self sufficiency, when do we recognize that we are small and helpless? When the truth cannot be ignored. Last week we had a sudden snow storm in the middle of march. 7 inches in one day hit a region that is ill-prepared for such an event. We were left without power, sitting in the dark, shivering, without warm water. All the white noise of our lives went suddenly silent and we were left alone with the realization that long before the electricity went out, we were already powerless. Despite all of our attempts to keep the wolves at bay, we are not in control. This is a truth that every heartbroken parent can attest to. The despondent spouse, the suddenly homeless, the unemployed, all have had to confront the truth that, ultimately, we are neither wizard nor king. Instead, we are weak, vulnerable and needy. But is that bad news?
Jesus said "... it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”Matt. 19:24. But why is that? It is not the riches that are the obstacle, it is the need they hide. Our need for God. When our lives are going well, we seldom feel the pull of the broken, the needy, the sick. Sadly, it is only when our lives have been turned upside down, when the truth of our dire predicament cannot be ignored, that many of us turn to God. However, it is in just such situations that Christ is closer than ever. Stripped of our comforts, the ever present hum of our daily lives receding in the distance, we are able to hear the voice of God...Yet..
The power is back on, the storm has left. I am again tempted to trust in myself. Will I so quickly forget how I sat in the dark, shivering and praying for the light? Or will I strive to listen beyond the noise, the whine and the hum? To listen for the voice that commanded the waters to be still, that called forth Lazarus from the tomb, that spoke the words of truth and light. My hearts desire is to look beyond the blessings in my life and focus on the One who provided them, because another storm is always on its way.
“Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our
pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his
megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”
- C.S. Lewis
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