There is a beautiful neighborhood near our home that is split into two sections on either side of the road. Both neighborhoods mirror each other and both have lakes nestled in with the homes.
As I was driving two sisters home from our orchestra practice, they were telling me about the lake on their side of the neighborhood. When I pulled up to see what it was they were describing, I looked in awe, really heartbroken and honestly, I may have felt some anger if I were a homeowner and this is what my home backed up against! I found out a leak had made its way into the lake and drained all of the water. Brush was starting to grow in the place of the water. I found out that some rats and snakes had come into the pit and were scrounging around, doing what they do best. It was such a sad and lonely sight.
As I drove home, and over the days that followed, I couldn’t get the mental picture of this empty lake sitting there, looking desolate, out of my mind!
As I went to church that Sunday morning, our Pastor was teaching us on how to pray our way through Psalms. It was an absolutely incredible visual as we walked it out that morning, right in the middle of the service. As we sat with our heads bowed, I heard our Pastor praying through Psalm 23 as our example.
Psalm 23:2-3
“He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul.”
And guess what was brought to my mind as I sat there praying and listening: the tale of the two lakes. Re-read that verse in Psalm 23 again. What I was hearing was peace and joy and restoration within that verse. One of these lakes offer that and one of these lakes does not.
The desolate lake.
A view from someone’s backyard
Empty.
Broken.
Hollow.
Lonely.
Dry.
Dry Bones.
People.
Us.
You and me.
This is not what I was made for.
This one life I’ve been given.
A leak wasn’t supposed to poke its way through.
A leak that drained me of self.
A leak that promised so much more.
A leak that offered happiness and excitement and adventure.
A leak that offered a journey to the “fun” life.
This. Is. Not. It.
How did these rats and snakes become a part of my life? I didn’t sign them up to take this journey with me.
I know I was made for so much more.
Just across the street, on the other side of the road, so close you can probably see it if you actually stop and allow yourself to look, is the most beautiful lake in the sister neighborhood.
The full lake.
Peace.
Happiness.
Serenity.
Beauty.
Calm.
Still.
Joy.
Adventure.
Reflection.
Life.
People.
Us.
You and me.
But how does this happen?
How do I live a life of freedom?
How do I kick the rats and the snakes to the curb once and for all?
How do I take what I’ve heard many say with their mouth and move it from my mind to my heart?
How do I become a “full lake” that offers so much to so many?
You accept that all He went through was for you. He has already completed everything for everyone. Do you feel as though you are on a boat in the water, stuck out in the middle of the ocean? Wait. You may not even be on that boat stuck out in the middle. You may actually be the one that’s already dead, lying at the bottom of the ocean floor. You may already look like this lake of abandon.
Shhhh……look!
Do you see?
Do you see the ripples?
Do you see the fish swimming away, the water becoming murky as sandaled feet walk toward you?
See the hands that are reaching down for you, as the water becomes cloudy?
Do you feel your weightless body being lifted, streams of light shooting down through the water, becoming brighter as you are surfacing?
Won’t you let Him take you as you are?
Won’t you let yourself trust in Him?
He knows. He felt the pain you are feeling now. He was broken for you, for me, for us. Just like the abandoned lake, He was broken and drained of all that the body holds. Drained and left on a tree for you and me. Drained until not one ounce was left. Dry. Empty. Desolate. Hollow. Dry Bones.
“Scene from The Passion”
“Scene from The Passion”
The air was thick with death. The sky was dark and the ground shook. For the first time, the Earth was mourning its Creator. But on that third day, the stone was rolled away! He awoke and came forth for you and for me!
Listen to the words of this song that is attached:
His love changes EVERYTHING!!!!!
Come ON! LISTEN!
“Come on into the waters, come let the broken sing….come all you sons and daughters, His love changes everything!
Come let the light in…your love changes everything. You’ll never let me go, you’ll never let me go.”
His love changes it ALL!
But I’m not good enough. I have done some pretty horrible things. I don’t like to read anything. I know nothing about this way of life. This isn’t the fun life. I don’t like all the rules you are supposed to follow.
He doesn’t care about any of those things. He cares about YOU. He cares about your loneliness and your pain. He cares about your situation and your addiction and your hopelessness and your joys and your family and your lack of family and you. Won’t you choose to believe Him, trust Him, and accept Him into your life? When you say the very words, “I have nothing to offer you. I have nowhere to go and nowhere to turn. I offer you nothing. I accept You into my heart, offering nothing in return.” THIS. THIS is exactly what He wants from you.
Here is an excellent quote by Tim Keller.
“Self-salvation through good works may produce a great deal of moral behavior in your life, but inside you are miserable. You are always comparing yourself to other people, and you are never sure you are being good enough. You cannot therefore, deal with your hideousness and self-absorption through the moral law, by trying to be a good person through an act of the will. You need a complete transformation of the very motives of your heart.” Tim Keller, The Reason for God
I challenge you. Anyone can hear information with their head, know right from wrong, but take the challenge and accept it with your very heart. Accept it into the organ that beats to keep you alive, give you life, here on this Earth. Accept Him into those places and you will see: His LOVE for you changes EVERYTHING! You can be rid of your fear. You can be rid of your addiction. You can be rid of your loneliness. You can be rid of your selfishness. You can be rid of your pride. Will you have to do the work and walk through some difficult steps? You bet. But oh how His love will change everything.
You. Are. Enough.
The Tale of Two Lakes.
Which will it be? Do you want to be the lake that has nothing to offer, a place for rats and snakes to abide? A place where only ugly brush can grow in its place? A place that promised to offer everything but produces nothing?
Or do you want to be all that you were created to be? A place that offers internal peace, beauty from the inside out, a shining light to all in your path, a reflection of happiness, where so many come sit by your side and learn and grow?
Isn’t it time to let the Healer patch up your leak for good?
You were created for ALL of this and so much more!
So get out there and “Believe it with Total Abandon”!
Loving with Abandon 