It Gets Smaller....

It's Monday.....pray for a sistah!!

One of my favorite television series is called Burn Notice, a series on the USA network. The show is about a former CIA operative, Michael Westin, who has been given a “burn notice", which simply means, he was fired and is no longer allowed to work for the CIA. The weekly series is about him trying to find out who fired him and why and his attempt to get back into the CIA agency. There’s so much more to the show, but I will not attempt to explain the whole synopsis. Feel free to explore for yourself at www.burnnotice.usanetwork.com.

My husband and I were watching the most recent show on yesterday. The main character, Michael, had messed up with his two partners: Fiona, his girlfriend, and Sam, his best friend. An old acquaintance of Michael’s suddenly showed up, wreaking havoc, and causing trouble, pushing him to compromise some of his standards as a spy. His two partners could see that this was a cantankerous relationship for him, even warning him, but Michael wasn’t hearing it. The long and short of it is that, they parted ways, leaving Michael to handle this acquaintance by himself. When things fell apart, which they did very quickly, Michael needed his friends to help fix things. This meant that he had to apologize.

Michael made an apology to Sam and Fiona together, but I just loved what he specifically said to Fiona. He said to her, in his explaining his reasons for not heeding her warning about this acquaintance, “There’s a part of me, there’s a part that’s like him [referring to the old acquaintance], but it’s just a part, and it gets smaller the longer I’m with you.” What a line! Michael was basically saying that although he could relate to some of the ways of this old acquaintance that the gap between what was and what is, widened, the more time he spent with Fiona. Think about that. What are your relationships bring out in you? Are they bringing out the best or the worst?

I thought about how my love for my husband, my children, and my grandson makes me desire to be a better wife, mother, and grandmother. I thought about how my love for dance, my dancers, and my students compel and press me to not be lazy: to dance hard, choreograph well, and purpose to always be at my best. I thought about the wonderful women, spiritual daughters, and dear friends that the Father has graced me to know and how that my love for them presses me to live godly before them:  purposing to display the love of Christ in all that I do. And I thought about my love for my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and that the more time that I spend with Him, the deeper my love for Him grows, and the wider the gap becomes between the old me and new me.

I can relate to the Michael character. So often I can see a side of me, that is very real, that is not like Christ at all. Sometimes that part of me, that fleshly nature, rises up and even pushes me to compromise and do things that are not pleasing to the Lord (as I shared the other day). I know that side of me exist and that I need the grace and mercy of the Holy Spirit everyday  to help me to not compromise. This is the plight of the saints, our daily war: “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other” (Galatians 5:17).

However, the Father did not leave us defenseless. He has given us the Holy Spirit to walk with us and lead us into all truth (John 16:13). I am thankful to the Lord that a part of the old me dies every day, as I spend time with my Father, as I spend time in His word, and as I allow the Holy Spirit to minister to my heart: That side of me that wants to compromise becomes less and less. When I am in His presence, His love, that is so gentle and kind, compels me to let go of the old and embrace the new creature that I am in Christ Jesus: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (II Corinthians 5:17)

Listen, nobody knows you better than yourself (accept Jesus, of course - lol). There are thoughts and feelings inside of your hearts that no one ever sees or hears (Thank GOD!). Yet, the Father knows. And if you’re like me, you don’t want those thoughts and ways to define who you are. I want to encourage you to take time to get in His presence and allow the Father to love on you....everyday. I promise, you and everyone around you, will see and know the difference in your daily walk: Less of you and more of Him.

I pray that you will know His love and presence today. I pray that His Love will draw you closer to Him and further from thoughts and ways of your flesh. I pray that His love for you will give you a deep desire to know Him and want to please Him. I pray that your relationships are bringing out the best in you and drawing you toward Christ. I pray that you will not compromise today, that you will be compelled to love Him in all that you do.

My Love Song to YOU! Dorothy C.