Nekkid
Since last post, I've been thinking a lot about how much I dwell on my mistakes. Though I generally don't hold grudges and dispense forgiveness to others rather resiliently, I sometimes have trouble accepting forgiveness for myself. For some reason, I am reminded of one of my most cherished memories. It went something like this:
I was lying flat on my face in Kona with a select group of homies...we were asking God to show us what He had in store for the 35 young people who would be coming to learn about Him, and what it was to follow Him. This group would later be going to Japan with us for two months. How could we pray for these students? What could we do as staff to set the atmosphere for God to move in their lives? (That sounded funny...like He needs an "atmosphere"...WE need the "atmosphere", haha.) Right in the middle of intercession, a funny word popped into my head. I had to laugh out loud, because it caught me off guard. Everyone looked at me like I was insane. I told them that a word came to my mind, and that word was "naked." Yeah, I'm insane. Then, another of our group said, "No way! I just got that!" I'm not the only one who's crazy! Slowly, the rest of the staff began to pull out Bible verses about David dancing, Adam and Eve being naked and unashamed, our bodies being clothed in white by Christ...The wheels started to turn in our heads about how we could decorate our room like a sento (Japanese bathhouse). You had to be "naked" to enter a bathhouse. Aiko and Shinobu, our Japanese staff, just shook their heads.
So what does it mean to be naked? Figuratively, naked is without pretense. Everything is out in the open...literally, when we are naked, all flaws that are otherwise covered are out in the open: our birthmarks, our cellulite, our scars, etc. What are the clothes we wear that separate us from being totally honest and broken before Him...despite all of our mistakes? What "robe" do we hold onto tight? Earthly accomplishments? Rebellion? Lies and Mistrust?
Intimacy requires nakedness. You can't get closer to someone than being naked. Really, we should be closest to God. I'm sorry if this blog makes you feel uncomfortable. Obviously, I'm not saying we should start a nudist Church! ha. It's our souls that should be naked and pure, and presented before Him, not our earthly bodies. So yeah, for some reason this memory really put things into perspective for me. Naked.
I was lying flat on my face in Kona with a select group of homies...we were asking God to show us what He had in store for the 35 young people who would be coming to learn about Him, and what it was to follow Him. This group would later be going to Japan with us for two months. How could we pray for these students? What could we do as staff to set the atmosphere for God to move in their lives? (That sounded funny...like He needs an "atmosphere"...WE need the "atmosphere", haha.) Right in the middle of intercession, a funny word popped into my head. I had to laugh out loud, because it caught me off guard. Everyone looked at me like I was insane. I told them that a word came to my mind, and that word was "naked." Yeah, I'm insane. Then, another of our group said, "No way! I just got that!" I'm not the only one who's crazy! Slowly, the rest of the staff began to pull out Bible verses about David dancing, Adam and Eve being naked and unashamed, our bodies being clothed in white by Christ...The wheels started to turn in our heads about how we could decorate our room like a sento (Japanese bathhouse). You had to be "naked" to enter a bathhouse. Aiko and Shinobu, our Japanese staff, just shook their heads.
So what does it mean to be naked? Figuratively, naked is without pretense. Everything is out in the open...literally, when we are naked, all flaws that are otherwise covered are out in the open: our birthmarks, our cellulite, our scars, etc. What are the clothes we wear that separate us from being totally honest and broken before Him...despite all of our mistakes? What "robe" do we hold onto tight? Earthly accomplishments? Rebellion? Lies and Mistrust?
Intimacy requires nakedness. You can't get closer to someone than being naked. Really, we should be closest to God. I'm sorry if this blog makes you feel uncomfortable. Obviously, I'm not saying we should start a nudist Church! ha. It's our souls that should be naked and pure, and presented before Him, not our earthly bodies. So yeah, for some reason this memory really put things into perspective for me. Naked.
posted by Celeste at 9:21 PM
2 Comments:
this is awesome... seriously. it's like, so often in society (well, i know in england) we live under the pretense of "everything is just fine, i'm just getting on with my life.. no sin issues here.. and if i do have sin issues, then you don't need to know!"..
yet, God.. in His Grace and utmost LOVE wants us to be completely vulnerable with Him... warts and all! (no, i dont have warts... but ya get where im coming from!)... and, i admit.. sometimes i hide.. and just this past week, God has really been shaking my character up, in terms of my attitude being that of Christs. it certainly isn't like Christ's and yeah - God has been revealing that stuff to me...
but, it's so awesome that we can be totally vulnerable with God.. because He wants the best for us... in His tenderness and compassion..
awesome blog!
oh, a french martini is delicious - they're difficult to get hold of over there, i only found one place which knew how to make them.. and that was katie blooms in campbell! it's chambord/grey goose vodka/pineapple juice... DELICIOUS!
Love it.
one time a 4 year old girl prophesied this over me... "You're naked!!," then she blessed me, then, she said I was 'superman'. It's a preschool version of "when I am weak, then i am strong" (2 COR 12 (10)). It made me think, not only of vulnerability before God, but man. Not apologizing to anyone for your personality, dreams, etc. When you get down to it, the creativity of God, inside a person, can be a bit accosting at times; it's bound to stand out. most of the time it's beautiful, sometimes it's a bit like a grown man in blue tights and a red speedo.
oooh la la... I want to try a French Martini...
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