Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Passions


Good eve, fair nobles!

In Bible study recently, I was given some very fresh insights on the story of the Last Supper. The text I was studying discussed the true meticulous importance of the preparation of the room for that Supper. Everything in and around that Passover meal is symbolic. The most captivating portion of what I read expressed the fact that it was no mere coincidence (as though coincidence existed) that Jesus charged Peter and John with the task of preparing that feast. They were chosen specifically for that task. As they prepaperd and no doubt sighed their way through the painstaking preparation, they did not realize the true scope of what they were doing. The most important part of their role was the preparing of the sacrificial lamb. No doubt, they soon came face to face with the realization of that symbolism, as very soon after that meal, Christ would lay down His body and pour out His blood for us all - quite literally becoming the 3rd cup in the tradition, the cup of REDEMPTION. Those two men's roles were so important, even though at that time they didn't realize it. They would go on to though - oh, would they ever! This was by far my favorite fact learned on this day of study - Peter and John are the only two of the twelve who are ever recorded as having referred to Jesus as the lamb (1 Peter 1 and Revelation 5). WOW!

It caused me to think: How often do we all step half-heartedly into a charge from our Lord and Savior, not realizing the true glory that our obedience is accomplishing for Him? Ephesians 2:10 is clear: "...we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." He made us with the passions and abilities we have for a reason. We are His Living Stones - chiseled ever away at in preparation to fit into the perfect erecting of His temple. This led me further into a spirit of pondering. As this is true, and as I am walking with the Lord, it must be the case that the things that kindle a fire in me - the things that make me shiver with excitement, bring a smile to my face, and that I am genuinely happy and good at doing must have been placed there by the Lord for some purpose. Now, my whole mission of late is to truly find myself daily walking in obedience and fulfillment of my purpose and destiny. So, I truly had a lot to consider. It made me curious. I started searching myself, identifying my spiritual gifts, my stengths and weaknesses, my passions. I could see the need for so many of them as labor for God's Kingdom, but one kept coming to the forefront of my mind as one that I just could not figure out. I thought of Peter and John. I knew that there MUST be a reason for this love that I harbor. It's a passion I have had for as long as I can remember, a passion that I have actually been somewhat self-convicting over, as there were many times I felt for sure there was no way it served any purpose for God's will. After much prayer and contemplation...I see how wrong that is. I most certainly have this passion for a strong purpose - and that purpose is to define me and serve as a constant reminder of who I am in Christ.

Ok, here goes: Ha ha! I have to laugh at myself. Something you know about me if you know me at all is that I have an absolute passion for all things Medieval. I love the Renaissance era. I love anything remotely associated to that era. I love knights. I love swords. I love castles. I love fantasy. I love wizards. I love dragons. I love Kings. I love squires. I love the langauge - OH, how I LOVE the language! I even can't help but write in the language when I write for pleasure. I am OBSESSED with any and everything that evokes those qualities. Take Lord of the Rings for example. To call my love for LOTR an obsession would be a vast understatement. I watch the trilogy every weekend. LOL! I have read the books multiple times. I collect the toys and paint the models. I am enthralled by Aragorn's role in the story. In fact, I usually skip the scenes with Frodo, Sam, and the Creature Gollum making their way through the dark of Mordor to cast the ring of power into the fires of Mt. Doom. What I love is the "return of the king" aspect of the story. I love the battles and the valiance. My heart jumps in Two Towers when the Rohirrim show up at the battle of Helm's Deep. I love Gandalf and the role he plays. OOOHHH! I'm excited even discussing it!! I also watch "Legend of the Seeker" every Saturday. It's a Fantasy TV series about the True Seeker who, traveling with a wizard, a mord sith, and a confessor, and wielding the Sword of Truth, makes his way through the Midlands battling all who stand in his way of finding the Stone of Tears and defeating the keeper of the underworld. I adore it! Even my house is decorated to accentuate my passion - I have a mini suit of armor in my bedroom if that tells you anything. LOL! This passion has lent me to be considered somewhat of a nerd. My colleagues pick on me about it all the time. I must admit I even pick on myself over it. But let me tell you why God PICKED ME for it:

- I am a conqueror - (Romans 8:29-39)

- I am a rescued damsel in distress - (Psalm 107:13 - "Then they
cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.")

- I am a warrior - (Judges 6:12 - "...The LORD is with you, Mighty Warrior!")

- I am a princess - (Psalm 45:11, 13 - "The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord; All glorious is the princess within her chamber; her gown is interwoven with gold.")

- I am a fool - (1 Corinthians 1:27 - "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.")

- I am a sword bearer - (Ephesians 6:17 - "Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.") - The Word is Alive, and it cuts like a sword through the darkness !

- I am clothed in armor - (Ephesians 6:10-17)

- I love Medieval language because I love the language of the Bible. I love reading the original KJV! I teach English because I love to study theme, symbolism, figurative language - all things one must fully understand in order to interpret the Bible in its rich fullness.

- I love fantasy, because it's one of the childlike parts of me that anchors my child-like faith. The things of Heaven are so far beyond the scope of our understanding (just read Revelation of you doubt me on that one). I believe there's a part of Heaven infused in those of us who have great imaginations. =)

- I love "The Return of the King" - Do I really even need to explain that one? =)

- I love battles between good and evil where light always prevails

- I love to watch the rugged fulfill their destinies

I could go on and on! See! Every part of my passion is representative of some part of my role in God's Kingdom. Beloveds, we ARE our passions! No matter how trivial, how nerdy, how silly, how seemingly misunderstood - they are all useful to the Lord! Lord, I pray that your help me cultivate the strength that is in me - help me become a true Knight of Heaven. I am already your Lady. =)

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