Melted Sticky, Broken BE-LIEVE

Ever had a season in life when you stop and look at yourself, perhaps in an out-of-body experience, and you see yourself melted and sticky all over the floor? "Pick that up!", you hear sarcastically, condemning voices rambling around in your head, or should I say my head. Do you ever experience that evil, disturbing phenomenon? It's a hoax, folks!!! 

Lucky, I probably should rather say "blessed", for me - and you; we don't actually have to do that picking up. We just have to stop, take inventory and be real about where we are. Then, God will do the pickup. 

Be warned, there will be some days, when we're standing there with empty hands, head lowered, looking all around - at our broken, messy BE-LIEVE all around us. Feeling defeated. Wondering "How did that happen?" 

Surely you've been there before. Running along in this life's race and suddenly you run head-on into a brick wall that knocked you senseless. I picture it kind of like those cartoon shows where the character lies on the ground with all kinds of "birdies" buzzing around in its head. Life hits you out of nowhere and you find your world suddenly shaken and seemingly crumbling into a "ba-jillion" pieces. Been there? Experienced that? Got the T-shirt to prove it? 

What do we do with the melted sticky and broken BE-LIEVE?

I was reading and came across this particular verse today and it began to stir within my soul. While I usually prefer the King James Version, I absolutely loved the New International Version interpretation, so I'll choose to use it. Phillipians 3:12:

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, 

but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me."

Apostle Paul, whom we all revere as "one of those guys who had it all together" and who wrote a lot of words in the New Testament, didn't always have it together. Are you surprised?! He understood that He was human and not incapable of making mistakes and falling short. He knew "who" he was, his credentials and experiences, yet that did not make him exempt from life nor give him super-power to tunnel through it without pain and scars. He had to press toward his goal!

He readily said, in my best female para-phrased version, if that's alright: "Folks, I'm still human. I've not got it all together yet. I, too, can find myself in a melted mess of stickiness or a ba-jillion pieces...but I keep pressing on anyhow. I wont' stop! I will run on, with God's help, and look forward to the reward for which He took hold of me." 

That's right! Our BELIEVE takes a hit and seems broken at times. It doesn't have to remain that way though. We simply have to come to our senses, wipe the sticky from our eyes and realize where we're at and remember Whose we are. Then call out for our Help! It's not His will nor plan to leave us where we are. He picks us up and glues the broken pieces of our BELIEVE back together again - for His glory. It never has to be permanently broken.

Christ Jesus took hold of us for a purpose. We simply need to take tight hold of Him every day, no matter how we may describe ourselves as appearing or feeling, and reach for that ultimate reward of an eternity with Him. All we will go through in this lifetime, every trial and test of our faith, every bit of pain and hurt, will matter no more when we're worshiping at His feet and enjoying that city, our new home, where He is the light. 

Until then...let's keep pressing on. Whether a sticky, melted mess, or in a ba-jillion pieces -its nothing but an opportunity for God to be glorified. For us to testify, like I'm doing now, of His goodness, mercy and grace. 

Pass it on!