My "Aha!" Moment

Today, my church family finished up a series entitled "Aha!"  You know when you have those "Aha!" moments in life?  This series personally convicted me this week as the pastor discussed the brother of the Prodigal Son.  If you are not familiar with this parable it will be posted at the bottom of this blog.  

Long story short, a son requests his inheritance from his father before he even passes away, leaves his family and parties the money away with prostitutes etc., ends up broke and eating with pigs, has his "Aha!" moment and realizes he would be living better as one of his father's servants, returns home humbled, father receives son with open arms and throws party, and his brother is ticked off because he thinks it's unfair.

For the first time, I saw how hardened the brother's heart was.  Instead of rejoicing that his brother had come to his senses, he focused inward and was hurt the situation.  He wanted his brother to see justice for his actions, not a broken heart that would receive forgiveness and a fresh start.  I was this brother this week, unfortunately.

My "Aha!" story begins at my daughter's bus stop.  I'm sitting on the curb, playing with my phone, and then all of a sudden I hear a woman yelling at some mid-shipmen running by "Boys!  Run on your toes like me!  You'll run faster!"  The weathered looking woman began to demonstrate to them.  The mids just laughed and carried on with their run.

While observing all of this I just sighed to myself and shook my head.  You see, this obvious homeless woman reminded me of my alcoholic mom, and I was annoyed by her.  There was no compassion and no love for this woman within my heart what so ever.  Simply, bitterness and annoyance.  "I just don't understand how people can even get to this point?  Oh, great!  She's crossing the street to talk to me now, ug." I thought to myself.  

"Excuse me!  Do you have seventeen cents that I could have?" she asked as she smoked a cigarette.  "Umm, I only have a dime on me." I responded as I dug through my pocket.  "Well, I ain't got no way to get my kid's daycare at the social security office by 5:30pm" she stated.  I knew where this was going and I was not thrilled about it, especially since it was Valentine's Day.  I was in the middle of preparing a large meal for my family to show my love, and I was not in the mood for it to be derailed from it.

"Do you have a car here" she asked?  Instantly, the Holy Spirit convicted me and asked me to help this woman out, but my heart was bitter and annoyed at her and at God.  Because I know what type of person this woman was, and it was her fault that she was in this situation.  Just like my mom.

"Well, I'm waiting on my daughter's school bus, but when they drop her off I could give you a lift.  But you're going to have to put out that cigarette, because my special needs daughter has asthma." I replied.   "It is as good as gone!  I found it on the ground, but I will put it out." said the woman.

Sure enough, she then began to give me her sob story about how she was giving up crack, etc.  "Oh, here we go!"  I unsympathetically thought to myself.  "God, why are you forcing me to deal with this today?  You know how difficult it is for me to deal with people with addictions!  Thanks a lot."  I said to God as I gave myself a pity party.

The bus arrived, and I helped my little girl off of the bus.  As we all began to pile into my car, I asked the woman what her name was?  She replied, "Isabelle with two l's and an e on the end."  I then introduced myself and told her that my daughter had the same name, spelled the same, too.  She thanked me for the ride, and began to tell me how unbelievable it was that I was willing to do this.

Isabelle then proceeded to tell me how she recently came to Christ, and that she knew that God put me in her path today.  She told me that since she came to know the Lord and began trusting him that she could see how he had been looking out for her.  She then told me that if I hadn't given her a ride that she would of had to of prostitute herself out to find the money for a bus ride.  But she really didn't want to have to do that, because she knew that God wouldn't like that.

You would think that at this point I would of been completely humbled, but in the back of my mind I was betting there would be a relapse in her faith and addiction.  Just like my mom!  My hardened heart listened to the Lord and stopped to buy her some personal care items etc. and I then delivered her to her destination.  This event stressed me out the rest of the evening, because I was now running an hour late and I was beginning to have childhood flashbacks.

All of this to say that God finally broke through this hardened heart of mine this morning and humbled me with this parable of the Prodigal Son.  In the same way, the Prodigal Son's brother couldn't see past himself and celebrate new life in another human being.  I'm sadden to say that I was selfish and judge mental to someone that God put in my path to love.  Sure, I went through the motions and listened, but my heart was in the wrong place!  Service to God means nothing if you're not able to do it out of love, regardless of the excuses.

So, there you have it!  My "Aha!" moment this week.  Please pray for me as God breaks down those harden cynical walls that are built up around my heart from my childhood.  I have a feeling that God is going to provide my heart with more moments to practice unconditional love.  Just when you think that you have you're act together, God reveals the truth about you and your heart.  

Luke 15:11-32

New International Version (NIV)

The Parable of the Lost Son

 ¹¹ Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.   ¹³ “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴ After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
   ¹⁷ “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.
   “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
   ²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
   ²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
   ²⁵ “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
   ²⁸ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
   ³¹ “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³²But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Angels

Hebrews 1:13-14 NLT

And God never said to any of the angels, "Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet."  Therefore, angels are only servants - spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.

Matthew 24:31 KJV

And he shall send his angels with a great sound of his trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Psalm 34:7 NASB

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and rescues them.


Throughout scripture God sends his angels to protect and deliver those that follow him from intense situations.  Growing up Daniel and the lion's den (Daniel 6:4-27) was a personal favorite Bible story of mine.  I liked knowing that God could send us help when needed.  Also, it showed me that when you are committed to following God at all costs, even in hard situations, that he is committed to you, too!


Daniel 6:4-27 NIV

⁴ At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. ⁵ Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”

   ⁶ So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! ⁷ The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. ⁸ Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” ⁹ So King Darius put the decree in writing.

   ¹⁰ Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. ¹¹ Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. ¹² So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?”

   The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”

   ¹³ Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.” ¹⁴When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.

   ¹⁵ Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, “Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.”

   ¹⁶ So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”

   ¹⁷ A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed.¹⁸ Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.

   ¹⁹ At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. ²⁰ When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”

   ²¹ Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! ²² My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”

   ²³ The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

   ²⁴ At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

   ²⁵ Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth:

   “May you prosper greatly!

   ²⁶ “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.

   “For he is the living God
   and he endures forever;
his kingdom will not be destroyed,
   his dominion will never end.
²⁷ He rescues and he saves;
   he performs signs and wonders
   in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel
   from the power of the lions.”

Daniel is an amazing example of dedication and commitment to following God.  He is a great reminder that God doesn't have boundaries, and you can't put him in a box.  Daniel should of been a goner, but God delivered him through one of his angels.  Faith is believing in what you can't see, and trusting in something that is beyond comprehension.

When I truly stop for a minute to think about God, angels, and the entire spiritual realm in which I can't visibly see...  I'm left with a feeling of being humbled and in awe.  You can't run from God and we are never truly alone.  There is so much more going on around us that we will never know or fully understand.  Like, the car accident that you were spared from, because you were stalled by something that made you run late.

Take a moment to meditate on God, and thank him for those times that he sent an angel into your life to intervene.  Ask God to give you a faith like Daniel's, unshakeable and God fearing.  Then commit to being in the Lord's presence daily.