No, I'm not talking about 'twue wuv' or 'mawwiage', (Princess Bride reference, anyone) but a love that was unconditional. This wasn't a middle school boyfriend drama. There are just people in a child's life who are just naturally supposed to love them. Back then, I saw the only common denominator was me. I didn't understand life. I'm not saying I fully understand life now; that seems like an awfully bold statement. However, I have grown, failed, learned, and been kindly given some good nuggets of revelation over the years. Thank you to Jesus, and the beautiful mentors He has placed in my life.
Growing up, I knew Bible stories, the importance of worship and obedience, fellowship (shout out to my fellow Baptist-raised peeps), and the basics of being a good Christian. I know that Spiritual Warfare was talked about at church but it wasn't something I understood.
I didn't understand that every moment is a battle of the mind.
I didn't understand that renewing your mind was a offensive weapon. I just thought it was fixing what was wrong in me to be more like Jesus.
I didn't understand the importance of the choices I made.
I didn't understand that it wasn't just me that struggled with loneliness, insecurity, and shame.
I didn't understand how early in life the battle begins.
I now understand the importance of taking every single thought captive because the mind has the potential to be an isolating, debilitating place.
I see the battle already full force in my Ryot. Anyone that knows my Sweetness knows that she really is a little sour patch kid. She hasn't quite learned the skill of controlling her face from showing her emotions. An emotion that often rears it's head is anger or frustration. For my little she-hulk, it takes some patience and a lot of the Father's love to calm her down and get to the root of the issue. Most of the time if you really talk to her she reveals that she is just mad at herself. She doesn't understand why she makes the decisions she makes. She doesn't want to be angry, disobey, or make people feel sad or disrespected when she makes mean faces. I had family in town this past weekend and they laughed because it really is her go-to. I don't even think she realizes she does it. In our house, we tackle one thing at a time, and this mean face habit's number was just called. Not because I want to control her or create fake emotions, but because I want her to understand that she has the power through Jesus to take every thought and emotion captive. She has power with her words and facial expressions to possibly alter how other people feel.
Proverbs 15:13 says, "A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit." This verse punched me in the gut when I read it. Am I teaching Ryot the power of her mind? Am I giving her the tools that I learned so that she can surpass me to new glories as she grows? Am I focusing more on the symptom and not the cause? Is she aware of the battle for her mind and emotions?
Ryot is a flame that is beautiful and unpredictable. Ryot was made in God's image.
God is not tame.
Parting a sea so a mass of people could walk through and letting the waters crash on the enemy.
Speaking through a burning bush.
Speaking through animals.
Flipping tables.
Do the plagues sent for the Egyptians seem like a tame battle plan?
God is not tame. He does not take battle being waged on His children lightly. He does not take lies being whispered to His precious babies lightly. He will not sit idly by while the war is waged on our hearts. He never has. He has already defeated death on the cross, and has given us every resource of His spirit, and completely open communication with Him at all times to fight back.
Not one of us can fight this alone. Ryot has gifts and talents that God created specifically for her that I do not possess, because we are meant to be the church, together. To battle lies, together. To put each puzzle piece of our being together to be the body of Christ to fight this battle, together.
That helplessness that breaks you is a lie.
That shame that you carry is a lie.
The brokenness that you feel is not from Jesus.
The loneliness that encompasses you is merely a dust covering the light.
It's all a battle of the mind.
Take captive EVERY thought.
'Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." Phil 4:8
For those of you who love Ry, thank you for continuing to give her grace and know that there is way more going on under the surface than she can articulate. Thank you for not perpetuating the culture of shame that she so easily tacks on herself. Thank you for calling out goodness in her and holding her accountable to honor and obedience. Thank you for knowing that the enemy is already waging war on her mind and looking up to you to see how you handle it. She really is going to change the world, if we can somehow not tame the wild free spirit that God joyfully created in her.
The same goes for me and you. We really can change the world.
