Follow the Zebras

Recently, my middle daughter celebrated her 3rd birthday.  Why am I not sure, but she chose to have a "Zebra Party."  For whatever reason, she became fascinated with zebras and wanted a zebra cake, striped plates and napkins and banners.  Everything zebra.  She even wore a zebra outfit, complete with a zebra hat, for the party.

I posted this picture on Facebook, commenting how Kellah had become obsessed with zebras.  A friend shared how she was learning from me, her mama.  My friend described me as a fearless woman who lived with courage and passion, comparing me to a zebra who is - I guess - the only animal that runs TOWARDS a fire instead of away from it.  Somehow, the zebra knows their safety lays on the other side of the flames, and so they choose to run INTO the fire rather than trying to escape it, which would ultimately result in their being overcome by the very fire from which they were fleeing.

That information about the zebra fascinated me.  And has stuck with me ever since.

This morning, as I read more of Jennie Allen's book Restless, I couldn't help but think of the fearless zebra once more.

Today's chapter, "Threads of Suffering," spoke about how we respond to pain, grief, trials, difficulties, the FIRES in our lives.  She opened with this marvelous truth that we might need to read over and over and over to let it penetrate to our souls and fully grasp the depth of its meaning and the implications it has on our lives, "Out of our pain we will heal the world."

She used the example of a compost pile to illustrate her point, "The messiest waste of our lives becomes the most fertile soil."

Often time, our struggles begin in childhood and shape us into the men and women we become as adults.  Allen reminds us, though, "those struggles can go on to entangle us our entire lives.  OR, if we are BRAVE enough to face them, they could be the GREATEST WEAPONS we have to help set others FREE."

As if to confirm this is a lesson God is teaching me, I saw a beautiful quote my friend posted on Facebook in a team page this morning:

Being courageous isn't easy or necessarily fun.  It takes guts.  And requires you to face your pains, fears, doubts, worries, struggles head on.  Rather than running from them, you do as the zebra does and CHOOSE to go towards the flames, knowing that through them you will be healed, knowing that on the other side lies true safety and ultimate victory.

Allen assures us that we are not alone in wanting to run and hide, "We are all tempted to shut down when the fire gets too hot.  But who would not lie under his friends' bodies and wish to die (you need to read the story of Gilbert Tuhabonye to full understand)?  Who would be brave enough to dig out and run?  That's crazy, AND YET that same passion is in US."

"We can do one of two things with suffering: 

we can absorb it and let it change us, 

or we can let it crush us.  

Suffering will CHANGE you, or it will CRUSH you."  

The choice is YOURS.

I choose to let it change me.
I choose to be COURAGEOUS, not comfortable.
I choose to let God work in my life, however He needs, to make me into the woman He created me to me.  I choose to give Him free reign, to use whatever means necessary to fulfill the master plans He has for me, to live up to my potential, to carry out the purposes He has for me, to showcase His glory, to change countless lives as I point them to Christ and introduce them to my Savior who freely gave up everything for them - for me - so that they might live.

This mindset is all well and good, but it does not promise me a life of ease.
Rather, I am GUARNATEED suffering.  As a follower of Jesus, I know trials and tribulations will be part of the discipleship process.

Still, when those hard times come, when I miscarried our baby and said goodbye before ever whispering, "I love you," into my precious child's ear, when I had knee surgery 3 times is 6 months instead of fulfilling my dreams of playing collegiate volleyball, when I got the bank statement saying we overdrafted and I had no idea how we were going to afford gas and groceries or pay our bills...

In the midst of the chaos, when the pain is real, when all hope seems lost, when there doesn't seem to be a way out or an end to the dark tunnel, when you don't understand why or how this can be for your good and God's glory, it can be quite easy to question God's love, to ask, "Why does God let me suffer?"

Allen helps us focus on these truths instead of falling prey to the enemy's lies:

*Jesus is best known through suffering.

*We get stronger.

*We hurt for heaven.
"Suffering reminds us this life is short, and this earth is not our home...His glory will be revealed, and those who have suffered most will be the most overjoyed."

*Our lives could leave a mark.
I couldn't agree with her more, "If we are here for just a breath, I'd like my one little breath to feel more like a mighty gust of win."

Again, commitment to this way of bold, courageous, passionate, purposeful living "takes surrender, perseverance, and not wasting my minutes away on comparing or complaining."  We must remember, and truly believe in our heart of hearts, "It is an HONOR to suffer.  It is a PRIVILEGE.  And we are NOT to waste it.  God wrote suffering into our stories and wants to redeem it for His glory.  And if we weren't shaking our fists at Him, we could possibly sit down and see that we are running from a life in flames toward a great purpose - a purpose that could NEVER EXIST WITHOUT THE FLAMES."

Her words reminded me of the lyrics in Gungor's song, "He makes beautiful things."

Allen goes on to share how God used her own childhood struggles and pain to do something good, very good, better than she ever imagined.  "God used something dark to break chains in me and to se me free.  I stood staring my worst fear in the face, and God has never felt closer."

As we face our fears, as we suffer, God comforts us.
We, then, in turn, can comfort others.

Allen writes, "My freedom and the way God filled my soul lit in me a passion which eventually turned into a calling.  Everywhere I go I see people stuck in bondage to something invisible, and I lose sleep, pound the table, and spend endless hours fighting for their freedom through writing and teaching.  Out of my pain, I see others' pain, and because I have tasted freedom I crave others' freedom."

Her words stir up a fire within me.  A good fire.  A passion buring deeply.
It's beginning to roar, to consume me.
And I've never felt more alive.

You see, God has placed in me the desire to help others live life to the fullest,
to pursue their dreams,
to fulfill the plans and purposes God has for them,
to believe Him
and take Him at His word
and trust Him fully
and lay it all on the line as they run HARD - full force, all engines churning - after Jesus.

I have let fear hold me back for far too long.
I am throwing off the chains now, realizing God has set me FREE.
I don't have to worry about what others think of me. God's opinion is the only one that matters.
I don't have to wonder how in the world I will accomplish such big tasks.  God's Spirit lives within me and I am filled with His power, wisdom, strength, hope, joy, peace, and everything else I need to live the life called has called me to live.
I don't have to doubt if I will fail.  God has already secured the victory and declared me "more than an overcomer."

And so, as I embrace my own freedom, I MUST help free as many other prisoners as I can.
To leave my brothers and sisters in their chains would be wrong, selfish, mean, cruel.
No!!  I MUST proclaim that Christ has set us free.
I MUST show others He is the WAY, the Truth, the Life.
I must invite anyone and everyone to join me on this amazing adventure, this journey to freedom.
We will go through the flames, yes, BUT on the other side lies the most wonderful life imaginable.

I would much rather leave this earth burned and covered head to toe in ashes to enter heaven's glory and experience the most unimaginable, wonderful eternity that will go on forever and ever than to be neat and safe, unscathed but dragging chains behind me as I fall into the pit of hell, to be engulfed by a fire and flames that will never be put out.

Allen concludes the chapter much the same way she began, "Out of our pain, we heal. Out of our bondage, we set free.  And again, the messiet waste of our lives becomes the most fertile soil."

Her words cut to the heart of the matter, "Our suffering could possibly save lives."

She shares more of Gilbert's story and finishes with this call to action, "What men meant for evil, God meant for good, for the saving of many lives.  Fires are lit in our lives, and they can burn to SHINE LIGHT or cause destruction.  WE GET TO DECIDE WHICH PURPOSE THEY WILL SERVE."

I know what my choice is.

What about YOU?
Will you join me in following the zebras?
Will you RUN WITH ME TOWARDS THE FLAMES?
Will you let God use your pain and suffering to save many lives, to bring people to Him so that they too may live forever with Him in eternity?

If so, I would love to pray for you and with you!
We zebras need to stick together!