Treading in the shoes of another

It seems a good piece of time since i last sat down and let my fingers do some talking. Since my adventure in Portugal and its Algarve region (the southernmost part of the country) i have been tramping across Europe. Through France - Paris, Nice, Monte Carlo, Aix-en-Provence, Marseilles into Italy - the Cinque Terra, Florence, Pisa, Sienna, and Rome. Ha, that list is unreal. It has been a pleasant walk - filled with interesting food, people, language, culture, and lessons. Oftentimes i find myself wholly inadequate at times. Stressed to the rupture point. A kid in the deep end with out his floaties. Although the previous statement will be weird to read it was wonderful to lay out. The truth is we really need that deep end, that difficult situation so we can start swimming.

God tells us in Hebrews that we have a high priest in Christ Jesus that knows our strife and is more than acquainted with our trouble - he Himself experienced it. He knows first hand: suffering, betrayal and denial from friends, the need for sleep (yes, Jesus sacked out), grief (Jesus wept), passion 'anger' (Jesus drove wrongdoers from His father's house), and everything under the sun forcing both you and i to pull at our hair or reach for a stress ball. How good is it that we talk to the God of the universe and He understands the language we are speaking. By this i don't mean Chinese, English, Spanish, or Italian, i mean the tongue of the human experience - joys, aches, confusion, laughter... He knows how to empathize with us because He became one of us to die for us. The old adage, "walk a mile in another's shoes" holds true here. Jesus hopped in our kicks and rocked the ironman: He ministered, healed the blind, raised the dead, proved his authority over demons, told the lame to walk, impacted the entire known world through 11 ordinary guys, went to the cross, fulfilling loads of prophecy, and attained victory over death and sin so we can can life everlasting. Clearly the manliest man and most sensitive/compassionate person in the same being.

A feeling of overwhelming peace arrives when you talk to someone who is speaking your language, who knows what you are dealing with, encourages you because they have been there before. Sounds nice huh? Wanna know that guy? Go search Him out, He is all over the place - that person is Jesus. Be encouraged to go before Him without shame, He calls you his brothers and sisters. No matter what you carry towards Him acknowledge that He died for it once and for all. His death was perfect atoning for all our junk and make us right in the eyes of God. We have not the ability to make ourselves unclean and not fit to run to Christ. As He saves those who accept His gift, we are all completely depraved, at that point not deserving to be rescued, without any merit, earning absolutely nothing. Yet, He is still mighty to save and compassionate beyond understanding to snatch us from the jaws of death. From that point on we are born again, beings with a new spirit, possessing a bold identity in Christ. All to often i don't feel worthy to go before the Lord, i start to fall into the habit of thought where i earn my trips towards His throne room. It is here where i forget what allows me to go Christ in the first place - Himself. If we feel like our baggage is too much to bring towards heaven than we have misplaced the power of God and the decisive victory of Christ's resurrection. By our sentiment of 'unworthiness' we take away from the work of Christ to make us worthy.

The last thing the Father wants is you to hide or run from Him - He knows what transpires and yet desires to be told by us. When you were a young one, a little tater tot, playing street hockey or capture the flag with the neighborhood crew you fell down, tripped, ran into things, all in all you found a way to earn some good "boo boos", scabs, and bruises. What was your reaction when you opened your knee up on the side walk? Mine, and im sure yours, was jet set towards mom or dad ASAP. They always fixed the hurt, even though the hydrogen peroxide stung like an angry beehive. The hurt is real and it can be fixed. You just have to admit the pain is there. Our relationship with Christ is the same. He can fix the hurt (in His own sovereign way), He knows the pain, He gives comfort, you just have to let him. No matter how much my mom and dad love me, they can not fix the "boos boos" if i dont let them. Remember, He tells us to enter His throne room "boldly" and that is a good thing.