Brain Attacks -- My Helmet

    

  The latest theory about the cause of my illness these past two years is a brain stem injury suffered during a fall I had on my dock at the lake. Maybe I should have been wearing a helmet!

      I know Satan attacks me most of all in my brain-- those accusing thoughts of guilt, inadequacy, doubt, discouragement, not to mention all sorts of temptations, usually stemming from my curiosity. But then, why should I be surprised?  What tree bore the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden? The tree of knowledge of good and evil! (Genesis 2:17, 3:1-7) It's still all about our brains (minds).

      Isn't it amazing how God has provided beforehand for all of our shortcomings, and instructed us just how to protect ourselves from falling? Look at Ephesians 6:10-17, where Paul describes the "full armor of God," and pay particular attention to Verse 17. I don't remember exactly when I learned that Jesus's name in Hebrew is "Yeshua," meaning "YHWH is salvation," but I know that it was one of my most life-changing, or at least thought-changing moments. From then on I began to think of Jesus (from the Greek Iesous; Hebrew Yeshua) as my Helmet, protecting my mind from evil and damaging thoughts, thoughts that take away my power as a witness to God's glory. Now, at some point nearly every day, whenever those "brain attacks" begin, I find myself praying, "Jesus, be my Helmet!"

      "Behold, the Lord's hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear.... Then His own arm brought salvation to Him, and His righteousness upheld Him. He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head." (Isaiah 59:1, 16b-17a NASB)

Reaching for Love

     

   I am blessed to be part of a Christian brain rewiring group (www.limbicsystemrewire.com), which has been invaluable in my healing journey. Recently a member expressed her difficulty seeing God as a "LOVING Father," and I was amazed at how many of us (including myself) confessed in the "Comments" to having the same problem. As I closed the site and closed my eyes, pondering this predicament, I was gifted by the Holy Spirit with a simple but amazing vision. Before me God, a large swath of pure light, faceless, sat on His throne before me and reached out His hand to me, as a father would stretch out to lift up his fallen child. Like the fallen child that I am, I reached out to accept this Almighty Hand that offered me help, saying "LOVING Father" over and over again. Throughout that day, and ever since, when I have struggled with pain or anxiety, I have recalled that image, reminding myself "LOVING Father!" 

      Admit it or not, all of us crave to be loved completely and unconditionally, even those who might seem to reject human affection. (I suspect that behind this facade is a deep fear of rejection, or too many earthly experiences of rejection or hurt by other broken human beings.) None of us, male or female, has known or ever will know a perfect man on this earth like the LOVING father-figure we all seek. We do, however, every one of us, have a Father in Heaven Who loves us enough to form us carefully in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13); to bring us through however many years we've been on this earth, through however many trials we've experienced, to be still living and breathing this moment (Joshua 1:5, Isaiah 41:10, Matthew 28:20); enough, in fact, to die for us on an ugly, painful cross on a hill called Golgotha outside the Holy City of Jerusalem, in what is now Israel, His Holy Land given to His chosen people. (Matthew 27:27-56)

    I'm sure one of the first Bible verses I ever learned as a child in Sunday School was "God is Love" (1 John 4:8), and the first hymn sung by many of us was no doubt "Jesus Loves Me."  But how do we know this is true? We are concrete beings living in a concrete world, so we want something concrete to assure us of this most basic Truth. This morning I'm still haunted by the vision of God reaching down in amazing love to lift me up to Himself. (I hope I NEVER forget it!) I begin to contemplate, however, all the tangible ways He DOES show us all His love: a fiery red sunset or a misty sunrise; the warm palette of autumn leaves fluttering in a crisp breeze or the juicy crunch of an apple fresh off the tree; the scent of the salty ocean or a crackling fire; the twitter of birds nearby or the song of a coyote in the distance; the gentle caress of a loved one or the heartwarming touch of a trusting child's hand in ours. I could write on for eternity and never arrive at the end of the evidence of Our Father's love for us. Yes, troubles come-- pain, disease, sorrow-- but they come to pass, not to stay. Only Our Father's love for us, and the life He offers us through His only Son, is eternal. (John 3:16)

      We ALL reach for love, admit it or not-- even our sweet coonhound Copper! Let's continue to remind each other that Love is waiting for us, reaching for US, if only we'll reach out and take His Gift!

"For God SO LOVED (Put your name here.) that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life."  (John 3:16)