Thursday, January 06, 2005

Day 2 @ Home of the Journey

Ephesians 6:10-18

<>10-12. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Please read the other verses your selves, they are really good.

<>Just last week while we were in California with the family Robin and I were anxiously waiting to watch our new gift, a DVD, Lord of the Rings (LOTR): Return of the King. We kept saying things like, “Lets go to Mordor!” during the course of the day. Or if we were watching another movie with the ladies, like Princess Diary 2, we would comment during the flick, “where’s the swords?”, or “when does the princess lead the troops to Mordor?”, things like that. I love LOTR’s, everyone I know does. I think somewhere deep inside we all get this sense that we are part of a larger story and also a larger battle… We are.

<>I woke up this morning again wishing in some ways, in my groggy state, that this was just a bad dream. I think we all will have that feeling during this process. That split second of hope as you start to open your eyes and lift your head from the pillow, the hope that it all just went away, all just vanished magically, and everything is back to normal, back within the reaches of our short arms of control. I walked down stairs still with some of that groggy hope yet by the time I had passed by our newly stocked medicine cabinet that we assembled last night and had entered the kitchen to see our pile of drying medicine droppers the illusion had vanished. That is what that groggy state really was though, just an illusion.

There is a great scene in another of my favorite movies, Instinct with Anthony Hopkins, where he tell takes control from the physiatrist, Cubbin Downing Jr., and asks him what he has lost. “Control” Cubbin response? “No, try again”, shouts Anthony Hopkins character, another few more failed Reponses bring the tension up and Cubbins character in to a life or death situation in the hands of Anthony Hopkins character. Anthony Hopkins character asks him one more time, “last chance, what did I take from you?... write it!!!” Slowly Cubbin pens out the following… “My ILLUSIONS”. And with that Anthony Hopkins pats him on the back, and lets him go from him life or death predicament.

<>That’s what I feel like, when I wake up, it’s not so much that I’ve lost my normal life, or even my control of it, I never had that in the first place. It is more that I have lost my illusions, and thank God for that. We are in a battle, there is a bigger story going on here, and the forces of Mordor, the fantasy world that it may be, still rings true in our lives. So today we put on the full armor of God and expect big things in our lives. I hope this is true for your life today also.<>

Abby is doing good, a good day yesterday except for the tired & whiney attitude, but that is to be expected. We are going down to the Dr. office, Childhood Hematology & Oncology Associates (CHOA) in Denver today. Pray for a good drive and good visit!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Schreibers,
I was so very sad to hear of little Abby's leukemia. The boys and I have been praying for her and you as well everyday during our devotions. You are a true inspiration of what being a christian means. How easy it is to be angry with God during circumstances as tough as this, yet you choose to glorify God through this and he is being glorified. God has big things planned for you and little Abby. Keep your eyes to God and draw your strength from him. We will continue to pray and we are asking the church out here for prayers as well.

Love in Christ,
The Brewers (James, Susan, Carter, Grant, and Jax

Robin Dugall said...

We are in a story...God's story! He was the one who started it and He will complete it. And the cool thing is that Abby will be a part of it from now and through eternity. I remember so many of those scenes in LOTR where they were wondering what was happening...dreaming of "going home"...thinking about the fact that when things looked the most desperate, the next page of the story turned and there was hope. We are all in the next page now...the page will turn again and a new chapter will begin. I hurt for you son...I hurt for all of us...but I know that God is in the hurt. And the hurt will lead us to new territory...to witness the destruction of evil...and the restoration of the goodness of God's Kingdom in Abby's body. LOVES, Robin