The Belly

I think it is the Jew's "Torah" that declares: "Thank God I am not a woman!"  Here is my spin, a Gentile woman with an impressive (or DEpressing) amount of mileage on my odometer: "Thank God I am not a man!" Right out of the chute, Eve, who walked and talked every evening in Paradise with the same Father as did Adam used her God-given influence to seduce her husband to eat the one fruit that God forbade them to eat. She hated him for listening to her,  and that disgust of wives for their weak husbands trickles on down to today.

It takes a  strong man (not a bully) to be the head of a home: the common denominator of the Church. ... the picture God intended to image Christ as our Bridegroom, and us,  His bride. At seventeen, I thought my boyfriend Ted was strong because his muscles bulged as he let fly a baseball from the pitcher's mound that landed right where he aimed it.  He was shy. I did not know, nor did he,  that his shyness was a result of physical beatings from the time he was a two-year-old little boy. We were in our 50's before Ted revealed that awful secret to himself, and to me. "The eyes of our hearts were enlightened". I appeared to be confident. I wasn't. Not having had a father who protected me I had learned to protect myself.  Inside was a little girl, begging for a strong man to make me feel safe. I entered my marriage needing that protection, but neither Ted nor I knew it. Like the iceberg that sank the Titanic, ninety per cent of our real selves was hidden beneath the waterline. After some years the Lord mercifully took us out of church pastorates into less demanding ministries,  in order to give our whole souls opportunity to know ourselves and to really know each other.

Upon our conversion, we had entered immediately into training for ministry.  We were prematurely thrust into leadership. Through years of Christian college and seminary there was not one reference made to the soul. It was as if we were only a brain that needed to be filled with facts about God and His Word, but the other parts of our souls, ...  our wills, emotions, and that mysterious DNA that was imprinted with everything that had happened to us would simply evaporate. Scripture seems to indicate that but the evil one twists scripture. He did that with Jesus when he tempted him, didn't he? There is no relationship like marriage to expose the truth.  Oh, how I wish older Christians had lovingly pressed into our whole souls.  Later, along the road of our Pilgrim's Progress, Ted sometimes said two things: 1) "I had no idea how many people Jo and I took to bed with us on our wedding night!" 2) "The mind cannot believe what the damaged emotions cannot receive."

I picture our souls as a tightly interwoven ball of lies and truth that hide in our bellies. In many languages the soul is actually called "The Belly".  As God's Truth attempts to penetrate that "belly ball" it may take a holy toilet-plunger to suck out the filthy, embedded lies that hide in the soul. ...sometimes for a lifetime. Lies are heavy, hindering the freedom from bondage that Christ bought for us with every drop of His blood.  I firmly believe that discipleship needs to include allowing the whole soul to freely speak. Disciplers can talk too much. The Body of Christ needs to help each other be healed. You don't need a manual or a degree in psychology. We must earn the right to listen with God's ears and love with God's heart.  When He leads, bring scripture and prayer to the forefront. Sometimes the evil one needs to be reminded that he was conquered by the blood of Christ and His finished work on the Cross.  Firmly tell the enemy to leave and never come back. You need not fear him for he is a defeated foe. Love confronts! "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith..."  Peter is addressing Christians.  The Word of God is powerful. ...more powerful than satan.  God will give you courage to venture below the water line with your friend. ...and never forget: THERE'S POWER, POWER, WONDER WORKING POWER IN THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF THE LAMB.

Tune in next week. Meanwhile,  I can't resist quoting one more Ted'ism: "Satan isn't a pimple   squeezer. He goes for the JUGULAR!"

                          THE BODY
We are One in the Spirit; we are One in the Lord.
We are One in the Spirit; we are One in the Lord.
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.

We will walk with each other; we will walk hand in hand.
We will walk with each other; we will walk hand in hand.
And together we'll spread the News
That God is in our land.

AND THEY'LL KNOW WE ARE CHRISTIANS BY OUR LOVE, BY OUR LOVE.
AND THEY'LL KNOW WE ARE CHRISTIANS BY OUR LOVE.

Love,  Jo