leftovers out. shoes on.

our Heavenly Father is a great story teller. i love to read of the daring deeds of leaders who rode off into battle with nothing but lamps and horns, of well-digging patriarchs who picnicked with angelic visitors, and prophets who could float an axe head, keep up with a moving chariot, and part the waters with the slap of a cloak. as a churched child of seven or eight, my favorite stories were those from the old testament when GOD talked to His children from bushes, clouds, and donkeys, partly beacause GOD seemed quite creative with His message sending devices, and (on a more ridiculous note) the flannel graph for the old testament stories was just so much cooler (the moses in the basket/out of the basket piece always did it for me). which brings me to moses. what child can’t get excited about the story of the plauges? i don’t care if you’re a girl or boy, the mere thought of a whole country being invaded by slimy hop-frogs can bring on visions of “invaders from mars,” and how big was the hail? i’ve been rereading this account recently, and between flashbacks of the flannel graph pieces, i’ve been struck by something entirely new in it’s theme. when GOD burning-bushes moses, He tells him the long term plan: He’s going to release them from their egyptian slave-masters, and take them to milk and honey land. after moses makes a few excuses, GOD gives him the thing he’s supposed to ask for: ask pharoh if the people can go on a long weekend into the desert to sacrifice to their GOD. that doesn’t seem like too much right? what employer couldn’t live without new bricks for three days? possible. then GOD tells him, to make things more exciting, He’s going to harden pharoh’s heart in this matter. GOD is going to make sure pharoh doesn’t let them go. in fact, as the plauges become more and more severe, instead of pharoh getting fed up with the mess of dead fish, frogs, flocks, and fields, he just gets more recalcitrant. GOD’s got a bigger thing going on here! He’s not just interested in His people getting to do a little three day sacrificing. He wants to give them a homeland where they can sacrifice anytime they want (not to mention throw in a little exit bonus of designer egyptian jewelry and clothing), and in the process increase their faith in a GOD who is creative enough to give them some really great stories to tell. He doesn’t want them to be satisfied with the possible, but to be passionately patient for the impossible. He wants to give them more. when GOD doesn’t answer my prayers precisely the way i think He should at this moment, it’s not that He’s saying no, it’s that He’s doing a bigger work behind the scenes. pharoh’s heart may be hard, but that doesn’t mean he won’t give in at the precise moment GOD wants him to. GOD is probably trying to get me faith-ready: bags packed, shoes on, and bread rising, no trappings holding me back from stepping out the blood-washed front door into the night where a Divine Fire will be my north star. i just have to have my leftovers thrown out and my shoes on.