Runway Walk - Pt 2

(Part 2 of 7)

Captivated?

Our youngest granddaughter is eleven months old and has only recently begun the process of walking – crawling, first, and, then, tentatively pulling up on anything and everything and trying to take those first tenuous steps. 

Watching her over a period of several days, as she tried, failed, and tried again, I was reminded of my own process in healing and walking after I broke my leg several years ago.  I might wheel myself out to the car, painfully transfer myself to the passenger’s seat, and ride with my husband as he did the grocery shopping and ran other errands.  I remember sitting in the car and watching as people might run to their car to avoid the impending rainstorm, or seeing children playing tag on their way to the car, or watching others as they laboriously transferred themselves into wheelchairs or motorized carts.  As with almost everything, we so often take God’s blessings on our lives for granted until something about that blessing changes.  Sometimes, those blessings are people, places, things, or abilities.  For me, the loss of the simple ability to be personally mobile had humbled me, tremendously.

I asked God what I could learn through that difficult time and He took me to the book of Ephesians, especially chapters 4 and 5.  As I read through Ephesians 4:1, I was overwhelmed by Paul’s plea to the believers at Ephesus, as he wrote, “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beg you that you walk worthy of the calling on your life.”

In this era of personal liberties, the concept of being a prisoner of anyone or anything is hardly looked upon as a positive.  Often, we are imprisoned by the negatives which we, or others, weave into the fabric of our lives:  habits, appetites, attitudes, our own logic, our own emotions…  However, Paul was exulting in his relationship with the Lord.  He was affirming not that God had him locked into a cell of a relationship with Him, but that he, Paul, was captivated by the Lord.

How long has it been since you were captivated by anyone or anything?  I remember, nearly forty-four years ago, right after my husband and I married how I would awaken at night, startled to find a man in bed with me.  Then, I would remember it was okay; we were married.  I would see the wedding ring on Rick’s hand and I would marvel over the fact that it meant he was mine and I was his.  Then, we brought each of our sons home after their birth.  I would hold them, marveling over each tiny finger, each precious ear lobe, and those precious little lips.  I was captivated by them!

I remember traveling to a women’s conference with a precious friend who had formerly sung with the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.  I had taught at the conference and my friend had sung.  We were rushing to make it back to Atlanta on Saturday night in order to be in church on Sunday morning.  We were scheduled to fly into Dallas for the connecting flight on a very small commuter plane which had been delayed by thunderstorms in the Dallas area.  Finally, we heard someone announcing over the speakers that everyone was to be ready to board our flight immediately upon its arrival, as the plane was attempting to return to Dallas before the next line of thunderstorms hit.  Only five of us were flying to Dallas that evening.  We rushed to be ready for the plane, which had the quickest turnaround of any on which I have ever flown. 

Right after we took off, the pilot announced that he wanted everyone to move to the back of the plane for ballast (not a good sign!).  A young couple sat down on opposite sides of the aisle just in front of my friend and me.  The young woman looked at the young man and said, softly but reproachfully, “Honey….”  He quickly moved across the aisle to be next to her, apologizing to the three of us behind them, “I’m sorry.  We just got married.  I think I had better sit with her.”  His young wife smiled broadly at him, snuggled up against his shoulder, and promptly went to sleep.  Off we flew into the darkening and somewhat stormy sky.  

The closer we got to Dallas, the more ominous the clouds were.  Yet, as I watched the young couple in front of us, I could only shake my head in wonder.  Our younger son was about to marry, so I confess that it was like coming upon a traffic accident.  You don’t want to look but seem unable to turn away.

I watched that new husband as he stroked his new wife’s hair.  He touched her cheek.  He kissed her on the end of her nose.  I was very close to nauseous!  In the meantime, the skies around us were shattered with lightning strikes, huge raindrops, and small hail.  The new husband never even noticed.  He was captivated by his sleeping wife.  He never realized that the rest of us were fervently praying, as the plane bounced back and forth, finally landing only to be directed to pull off of the runway and wait two hours while hail bounced off the plane.  The entire DFW airport was closed down while the storm buffeted the area.  Only when we began taxiing to the terminal did the husband gently rouse his wife and tell her we were about to deplane.  He never took his eyes off of her.  He was captivated!

Paul said that he was captivated by Jesus.  Do you remember when you first met Jesus?  Were you mesmerized by the fact that He chose to love you?  Do you remember how amazing it was that you, personally, had a relationship with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords?  Did you get over it?  I pray not – both for you and for me.  I want to be able to say that I can’t take my eyes off of Jesus.  I can’t get over the fact that He loved me so much that He was willing to die for me.  I can’t understand why He has never left me nor forsaken me.  I am overwhelmed that He has provided my every need.  Again, in Ephesians 4:1, Paul said, “I, therefore…”  Go back and read Ephesians 1-3 to see what overwhelmed Paul to the point that he said he was truly captivated by the Lord.

Are you captivated by Jesus?

- Next Week, part 3, "Walking On The Moon" -

© 2010 Gerry Sisk

(05/12/10)