The Ladder: A Christmas Story

Once upon a time, there lived a young man named Joe who enjoyed walking out into the fields each day.  In every field stood hundreds – no, thousands – of ladders stretching into the clouds.   One person stood by each ladder.  Some stood at the base, others were halfway up, and still others climbed and climbed until only their feet could be seen through the cloud cover. 

Joe walked these sunny fields every day in search of his own ladder to climb.  Looking to his right as he walked, he saw an old man about twenty steps up, solemnly climbing.  He did not look at Joe so Joe called up to him.  “Hello, sir!  How’s it going?”

The old man smiled.  “I pray three times a day, tithe once a week – and I even helped bake the bread for communion last Sunday.  Yessir, I’m on my way!”

“What exactly are you climbing the ladder for, sir?” Joe asked.

The old man bobbed his head wisely.  “Well, son, there’s a great reward up there.  Gotta keep climbing to get it.”

Joe nodded and moved on.  Next he overtook a woman in her mid-thirties who looked enraptured with the clouds above her.  She was almost halfway to the sky. 

“Hello, ma’am!” Joe called.  “How’s it going?”

The woman looked down at Joe.  “Greetings!  Can you believe it?  I am almost halfway there.  Just a bit more meditation.  With the right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration I will reach the top!”

“What’s up there for you?” Joe asked.

“Nirvana!” the woman answered joyously.  “Goodbye now!”

Joe strained his eyes to see his own ladder and kept walking.  Next he came upon a man in his forties who was climbing at a very fast pace.  “Hello there!  How’s it going?”

The man stopped and looked down at Joe.  “Hello!  It’s going very well!  I am ahead of almost every other person here.  I say the shahadah; I pray five times a day; I give alms; I fast during Ramadan; and I’m on my way to Mecca!  I’m completing all the requirements and so far my good must outweigh my bad!”

“What’s up there for you?” Joe asked.

“If Allah allows me entrance, eternal life!” the man answered.  “Goodbye now!”

Joe walked at least another mile until the sun began setting and he could no longer see many of the ladders.   Having still not found his own ladder, he sighed and started back the way he came.  As the dusk settled around him, he passed the ladder where he had last stopped to talk.

The Muslim man was climbing down slowly, quite out of spirits.

“Hello again, sir!” Joe called.  “Did you reach the top?  Why have you come back down?”

The man reached the ground and slowly turned to Joe.  “I did reach the top, but . . . He said there was nothing up there for me.  He closed the door.”

“Who did?  What door?” Joe asked, but the man had already begun walking away, his head down.

A little while later, Joe came upon the Buddhist woman, who was also climbing down her ladder.  “Hello again, ma’am!” Joe called.  “Did you reach the top?  Why have you come back down?”

The woman looked stricken.  “I do not understand it!” she replied.  “I reached the top, but . . . He said there was nothing up there for me.  He closed the door.”

“What door?” Joe asked.  “Who closed it?  What is up there?” but the woman had already begun walking away, her head down.

A bit frightened now, Joe kept walking.  A little while later he came upon the old man, who was also climbing down his ladder.  “You too, sir?  You reached the top and the door was closed?”

The old man sighed.  “Not exactly.  I saw Him, but He said He never knew me, and I could not earn my admittance into that place.  Then He shut the door.  It was awful.”

“He who?  What door?  What is up there?  Please, I don’t understand!”

“Find out for yourself,” the man pointed.  “There is your ladder.  But I warn you, don’t do what I did.  It’s no use.”

Thoroughly confused, Joe ran to his ladder and stared up into the darkening sky.  “If I can’t earn my way, how can I ever get there?  Please!” he shouted to the sky.  “I want to come up!”

As he stared intently up his ladder, Joe noticed that someone was climbing down.  When the man came into earshot, Joe called, “Oh, I’m sorry; this is your ladder.  I thought it was mine.”

“It is!” said the man as he continued his descent.  “And these are MY heavens.  You say you want to come up?  Well, you cannot earn your way up there.  The others found that out the hard way.  The only way to come in is if I come down to get you.  And I did!  On a night much like tonight, actually – a night that is celebrated throughout the world, but the meaning of which is largely ignored.  The world celebrates with presents and Christmas trees and family, but the real meaning is lost.  The real meaning is that I came down to get you, Joe – to save you when nothing else could.”

The Man stopped when He was one rung from the ground. 

“Why have you stopped?” Joe asked.

“The other people tried to climb the ladder to reach Me, but they couldn’t.  No one can earn their way into My Home.  I am the only Way in!  And I have done all that it necessary to take you Home with Me.”

Still a bit confused, Joe said timidly, “But . . . can’t I do anything to go Home with You?”

“Yes you can!” the Man answered, smiling.  He stretched out His hand, and Joe noticed a hole in the wrist.  “Take My hand and climb up the first step.”

Thank you, Lord, for Jesus!  He is the only Way, the only One who comes down the ladder to get us, instead of us trying to climb the ladder to Him!  Hallelujah!  He is Emmanuel -- "God With Us"!!!

Merry CHRISTmas, and God bless!  <3

Wrigley and the North Wind

On June 1st of this year, I took my black and white miniature poodle, Wrigley, outside for a walk.  After "marking" every tree in sight (and that was just our driveway), he pulled at the leash and steered me right to our favorite walking spot near my house: a private, sunny lane framed with trees that opens up to a soccer field.  It was sooo beautiful out -- a strong breeze blowing and absolutely perfect temperatures.  Wrigley was thrilled to be on this adventure called "WALK", and it was very entertaining to watch him make a fool out of himself again and again.  But hey, he's a dog.  He's got no shame.  ;)

When we turned around to head back down the lane, the wind really started to pick up.  It was crazy wind -- almost as crazy as the windstorm we had at MCC a few weeks ago.  At one point I thought I was going to get blown off my feet, and the wind actually stopped me in my tracks.  I glanced down at Wri and found him cowering to the ground, his curly fur blown almost straight.  It. Was. Pathetic.  

Coming to the rescue, I scooped him up in my arms and held him tight.  Wrigley clung to me for dear life as I began battling through the wind for the both of us.  While I was fighting the wind, it occurred to me -- isn't this a perfect picture of how God relates to His children while we are in a storm?  It doesn't matter how old we are or how "mature" in our walk we are expected to be -- if we're in the midst of a windstorm and cry out to Him, He'll run to us, scoop us up into His arms, and carry us.  We are not a burden to Him; He'll never tire of holding us.     

It also brings Mark 6:48-51 to mind: “And He saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them.  And about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea.  He meant to pass by them, but when they saw Him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw Him and were terrified.  But immediately He spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart; it is I.  Do not be afraid.’  And He got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased.  And they were utterly astounded . . . .”

Are you in a storm?  Has life just decked you?  Are you hopeless?  Desperate?  Alone?

Cry out to Jesus.  He will carry you.

The storm may not stop, but He will see you through it.  You are not alone.  You have never been alone, nor will you ever be.  He is with you in your darkest hours.  His arms ache to hold you, His heart longs to speak to yours, His hands tremble with eagerness to touch your life, your soul. 

The same God who calmed the wind on the Sea of Galilee will calm the storm inside you, even when all hell is breaking loose around you.

But you must call first.  He is a heartbeat away -- cry out to Him, and He will carry you.

Hard Hats and Traffic Jams

26 Mile Rd and Van Dyke recently finished a 4-month-long construction project.  For those of you who don’t know, 26 Mile Rd is where Meijer, Target, Kohl’s, Payless, Bath and Body Works, and Home Depot are located (for those of us in the boonies who actually have to drive SOUTH to get to any store!!).  It was a major pain.  Traffic was rerouted again and again, speed limits were slowed to a crawling pace, you could sit through 2-3 cycles of a traffic light before making it through the intersection – just a big pain.  And the progress was hard to see, which added to the irritation as the construction dragged on and on and on. 

Recently, while sitting in a long line of traffic at 26 Mile and Van Dyke, I thought about how construction parallels our spiritual walk.  Often, God will make it clear to me that it’s time for another season of construction, and my habitual response is irritation.  “More construction, Lord?  Didn’t I just get through the last season of construction?”  (Btw, this is the wrong response b/c if God wants to work something else in me I should be nothing but grateful and excited!)

This is how roadway construction parallels spiritual “construction.”  Initially there tends to be a period of demolition, utter chaos and a scrambling to get things organized.  Foundations are torn up, roads are blocked off and rerouted, warning cones are placed everywhere, and workers bring in colossal Komatsu machines.

What a headache!  Now traffic lines double and triple in size and reckless accidents sometimes occur, creating more havoc and longer lines.  We hate roadway construction because we somehow have to go on with our lives despite the mess.

It’s the same thing with spiritual construction.  Life gets way more complicated because now we suddenly have to deal with the spiritual valleys, tough lessons and tears – while somehow going on with our daily lives, agendas and responsibilities.  

Depending on your outlook, spiritual construction can be the worst or best time of your life.
(just a reminder: if you consider construction to be the worst time of your life, be prepared for LOTS more of it.)

What’s the point of the construction, the mayhem, the inconvenience, the tears?  Well, Elisabeth Elliot hit a bull’s eye when she said, “God’s story never ends with ashes.”  Think about it.  When 26 Mile opened up a few days ago and I drove on it for the first time, I breathed a sigh of relief.  The road was smooth and newly paved – there was more space, more room to breathe.  It was refreshing. 

When God wants to work something into (or out of) your soul, yes, it will be a tough time, and only He knows how long it will last.  But when the construction is finally finished, your spirit will breathe deeply and enjoy the delightful product of that labor.  Your heart will rejoice in what the Lord has brought forth in your soul.  Another valley conquered, another mountain climbed. 

So bring on the hard hats, the traffic jams, the big ol’ Komatsu’s.  It’s construction time!!

Facing WHAT?!

This blog is inspired by an average guy who let fear rule his life...until God stepped in.  You can read about him in Judges 6-7.  His name is Gideon. 

In Judges 6:11, an angel came to Gideon (who was hiding from the Midianites in the mountains) and said, "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior!"

Did you know that Gideon's name literally means "Mighty Warrior"?  How ironic.

The angel of the LORD told Gideon that he would rise up, fulfill his name, and save Israel from the hand of Midian.  Most of you know the story, how Gideon was terrified by the prospect and begged God to give him a sign that He had chosen him.  The fleece thing, yeah. 

One of my favorite preachers, Cliff Johnson, summed up Gideon's story with these words: "Sometimes God doesn't give us the exact steps we're supposed to do through a fleece; He wants us to go and answer the cry of a desperate people."

This blog is going to be a quest, a journey on a higher road.  God has shown me so much, and I think it's time to share what I'm learning with you.  After all, to whom much is given, much is expected.  So take my hand, and let's go Face Midian.  :)