Little Rag Doll

In my flight time while away I have been reading.  I am sure that surprises no one!  One of the books I started on my last flight had a very thought provoking opening, which I would like to share with you all.  It is from "The Good Listener"  by James E. Sullivan.  The excerpt is from page 10 and 11:

Some years ago there was a splendid motion picture called The Miracle Worker.  It was the story of Helen Keller, that unfortunate woman who had lost both her sight and her hearing when she was still a young child.  That was a heartbreaking affliction for her, especially as she grew into adolescence and young womanhood.  She had a brilliant mind, but she had no way to get others to understand what she was thinking or feeling.  And others, also, were powerless to communicate with her.  It was as though she were locked alone, in a cold, dark dungeon.

As a result, she grew up like a wild animal.  She'd stuff food into her mouth and, when she disliked it, she'd spit it out.  If anyone tried to stop her, she'd flail her arms and legs in a wild tantrum and bite their hands. 

In one scene, her grandmother was feeding Helen's baby sister when Helen entered the room, holding her little rag doll.  Wildly, she started to pull the buttons from her grandmother's dress.  Her grandmother screamed for help, fearful that the baby would be hurt.  Helen's parents and older brother came running. 

Her father was overcome with grief.  "Oh Lord, " he cried out, "How long can we put with this!"  Her brother was cruel.  "She's an animal!" he shouted.  "She should be put away with the rest of the animals." 

It was Helen's mother who understood.  She kept saying, "No! Wait! Wait!" Helen is trying to tell us something.  "That's it!" That's it!" "She wants her doll to have eyes." So she took two buttons and sewed them onto the face of Helen's rag doll.  Helen reached out and felt them and the change in her was remarkable.  She held her doll close and rocked it in her arms.  And she sat down calm and peaceful as could be.

Helen had warm, motherly feelings for her "child", her little rag doll.  She wanted her doll to have the eyes that she herself could not have.  And it was so frustrating for her when she couldn't get anyone to understand that.  It's no wonder she went wild.  Her mother's sensitivity was absolutely beautiful.  In contrast to her husband and her son, she put aside her own natural assumption - that Helen was simply having a tantrum- and took on Helen's point of view instead.  She entered Helen's world, and so was able to understand what Helen was feeling.
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This was such a beautiful imagery of God's love for us and how He entered our world through Christ.  We are the little blind rag doll and Christ is our high priest who can empathise with our state.  Satan is the accuser before God and Christ is there saying, "No! Wait! Wait!" God reaches out, embraces us and the change in us is remarkable. Just as Helen loves that doll and held her close, He holds us close and lovingly rocks us in his arms.  Christ finished all things and has sat down in his proper place so that we all may have the peace he left for us; the peace which is from our Father.

Have sweet dream my lovely friends!
Kisses,
Candace

Kaleidoscope Butterfly, Inc®

©Candace Huffmaster 2010, All Copy Rights Reserved

The Hope In Us All

With our salvation comes true hope. It is in us all the time. We just have to grab onto it and never release it.  Our hope is really more of an understanding of a wish.  I believe that is the reason the messenger of the church in Laodicea in Revelation states: I know what you have done, that you are neither cold nor hot.  I wish you were cold or hot.  But since you are lukewarm and not hot or cold, I'm going to spit you out of my mouth.  You say, I'm rich, I'm wealthy.  I don't need anything.  Yet, you do not realize that you are miserable, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.  I advise you: Buy gold purified in fire from me so that you may be rich.  Buy white clothes from me.  Wear them so that you may keep your shameful, naked body from showing.  Buy ointment to put on your eyes so that you may see.  I correct and discipline everyone I love.  Take this seriously, and change the way you think and act.  Look, I'm standing at the door and knocking.  If anyone listens to my voice and opens the door, I'll come in and we'll eat together.  I will allow everyone who wins the victory to sit with me on my throne, as I have won the victory and have sat down with my Father on his throne.  Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches."  

Yet when we are pressed to make a choice - to stand firmly and the pressure is on, we open up the flood gates to the rivers of ambiguous voices.  The next thing you know we are neither hot not cold.  So I ask us all, is there ANY ground on which we stand that we will be committed to standing one the waves of misconception have rolled back behind the flood gates?

Think back about all our conversations on "The Beginning".  Remember when we were discussing God creating light so we could see in the darkness?  He did that so we could see.  He is the light, the truth and the way.  He said He is deliberately right here to show us the way out.  His whole motivation is Love.

He loves us deeply and wishes to show us the way to the brightness life has to offer. It is a small opening at times when we have gotten so wedged into difficult situations. But his light is so intense, making it very easy to stay focused on. He is there gently encouraging us as he let’s us know we are not alone saying “ Can’t you see the light around the way to go: I make it a very clear pathway.” “There are no obstructions anymore”.

What is so perplexing is that God doesn't change our circumstances usually, he changes the way we see them.  Then we have to trust Him while we make our way out.  He is doing this to train us how "not" to be overwhelmed by diversity. We actually get to the point where we don't need to fight useless battles. His peace allows us the strength, courage, mercy and grace to walk around or away from it.

When we are in conflict with others along our path, we must remember we are not responsible for them only to them. Christ is responsible FOR them. We all must be at peace with others only as far as it depends on us. So Today, let's just focus on Hope......and having resolve in the reason for our Hope.

In Christ - I lift us up so that He may be magnified,
Kisses,
Candace

Never having to say you are sorry.....REALLY?

Isn't it strange the things we stated as facts when we  were kids?  Remember the Precious Moments brand?  I had posters, dolls, plates etc.  One of them made a statement "Love is never having to say you are sorry".  Some people actually believe that!

So, what is love? Love is doing what is best for someone no matter how uncomfortable it may feel. It is not doing what we think will make another person happy. Are we willing to put our feelings aside to be sure someone else is not heading into trouble? Would we stand by and allow someone to run off a cliff without trying to warn them. Well, maybe a cliff is extreme...what about just hitting a tree? Would we rationalize it by saying, "Well who am I to say it is wrong to drive off a cliff" Then just go on about our day as if it did not happen and we were not responsible in any way? Our society has the keen ability to turn a blind eye and harden our hearts to what our true mission in life is.


We are called to Love...above all else. God says it is our highest calling. Do you know anyone who is running toward a metaphorical cliff. Warn them, don't just think someone else will. If God has made you aware, He wants you to step up like He stepped up for you.

I pray we all pick up our cross and follow after our Christ.
Candace

The Right Kind of Help

And I, if I am lifted up . . . will draw all peoples to Myself —John 12:32

Very few of us have any understanding of the reason why Jesus Christ died. If sympathy is all that human beings need, then the Cross of Christ is an absurdity and there is absolutely no need for it. What the world needs is not "a little bit of love," but major surgery.

When you find yourself face to face with a person who is spiritually lost, remind yourself of Jesus Christ on the cross. If that person can get to God in any other way, then the Cross of Christ is unnecessary. If you think you are helping lost people with your sympathy and understanding, you are a traitor to Jesus Christ. You must have a right-standing relationship with Him yourself, and pour your life out in helping others in His way— not in a human way that ignores God. The theme of the world’s religion today is to serve in a pleasant, non-confrontational manner.

But our only priority must be to present Jesus Christ crucified— to lift Him up all the time (see 1 Corinthians 2:2 ). Every belief that is not firmly rooted in the Cross of Christ will lead people astray. If the worker himself believes in Jesus Christ and is trusting in the reality of redemption, his words will be compelling to others. What is extremely important is for the worker’s simple relationship with Jesus Christ to be strong and growing. His usefulness to God depends on that, and that alone.

The calling of a New Testament worker is to expose sin and to reveal Jesus Christ as Savior. Consequently, he cannot always be charming and friendly, but must be willing to be stern to accomplish major surgery. We are sent by God to lift up Jesus Christ, not to give wonderfully beautiful speeches. We must be willing to examine others as deeply as God has examined us. We must also be sharply intent on sensing those Scripture passages that will drive the truth home, and then not be afraid to apply them. - Oswald Chambers