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Riddle: How is a frog’s instinct to hide in the tall grass similar to the natural instincts of humans? When I mow the grass in my yard, it is not uncommon for a frog to suddenly startle from the grass right in front of my lawnmower, and to leap frantically away. The instinct to run from the deadly machine is a good one. But the direction of that flight is often wrong. The frog’s natural instinct is to hide from its predators in the long grass, where its shiny green sides make it nearly invisible. The problem? The purpose of the lawnmower is to cut the long grass. Have you ever asked yourself: “Am I really a Christian?” Over and over, I have witnessed powerful fears in women, myself included. One exhausted woman told me: “I am tired of this. I hate my sin. I hate my hypocrisy. I’m just done with it all.” Another shared: “When I constantly struggling with the same thing, I can see how people can begin to doubt their salvation.” There are certainly cases in which true conversion has not occurred. But there are also many cases in which one’s Christianity is doubted needlessly.
After an afternoon of ultimate Frisbee and football, we were on our way to our friends’ house a short drive away. With a van full of friends, we maneuvered around frost-heaves and potholes, trading stories and laughter.
Suddenly, we became aware of a strange sound—a dull fwap, fwap, fwap followed by an ominous grinding. The friend in the front passenger seat leaned out the open window. “Your wheel is flat,” she announced. Recently, I had the privilege of attending a friend’s wedding. The groom himself greeted his guests and offered them seats. His attitude was casual and relaxed, yet underneath his calm exterior, I sensed a quiver of anticipation.
I admit that I observed his expression carefully as the bridesmaids began their measured march down the central aisle. Then the music changed, and the crowd stood. The groom caught his first glimpse of his bride. It is high time to prune our grapes. On my parents’ land, a crumbling arbor of wood and metal mesh supports the weight of a network of vines. As the summer deepens, the grapes swell to their full size, becoming dusky purple fruits that pop with flavors both tart and sweet. I love our grapes, but they are overgrown.
Our neighbor’s grapes, on the other hand, look very different. Every woman longs to be loved. Yet every woman struggles to believe that she is, truly and irrevocably, loved. Cherished. Valued. Beautiful. This is true of the married woman as much as it is of the single woman. In brief spans of our life, we experience times when the devotion of a close loved one satisfies us. But when it inevitably fades, we are left unfulfilled. Then we spend the rest of our lives chasing that feeling again. We even wonder about God’s love. Why doesn’t His love satisfy all the time? |
Meet YaashaNone of my life has gone the way it was "supposed to go," but I don't love my life any less because of the hardships and new directions. I see so much unexpected good in it, and I want others to see the good in theirs. Archives
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