Abandoned |
| Posted by Mark (mark) on Mar 31 2008 at 8:25 PM |
In his dreams a man was walking with the Father in a garden. He’d been fighting with his wife again that day, and was at his wits end. The Ancient-of-Days listened intently, like any good father, as the man bared his soul and relieved his burdens.
Smiling the Father finally responded in a soft voice, “Son, when you communicate with your wife, or anyone, you quickly form judgments of their heart and no matter what they say you attach your judgment to their words. You assume what the heart is behind the words and that can completely change the meaning of what is said. This makes relationship difficult. How much sin and offense come from miscommunication?”
The man peered intently at the Father, hoping more was forthcoming. “I imagine it’s a lot,” he said pensively.
“Yes, it is definitely a lot. It’s the fruit of the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil; it damages relationship.” The man scratched his head, and the Ancient-of-Days continued, “When two people come into relationship they have made their judgments of each other. Because of these judgments they put up walls in strategic areas of their heart, to protect themselves. In so doing, the two refuse to become one; they will not abandon themselves to each other. This is one of the major reasons the marriage relationship is so difficult. But you see the same effect in all kinds of relationships.
“The nature of love is to give of itself; to abandon itself in the arms of another. My son Jesus did this and it cost him his life; but that is the price of love in a broken world. And the result was two becoming one; We live with and in you because of this abandonment - at least, in those who will receive us and begin to abandon themselves to us as well.” The Father looked deeply into his son now, “Your expectations and judgments get in the way of this. No one likes to be hurt, and you have judged the reward of this complete abandonment is not worth the cost. You choose not to allow communion in your life (two becoming one). But for those who deny their judgment and begin to go for it bit by bit, they find resurrection follows death; they taste real life for the first time.”
The man spoke up finally, “I suppose it’s true isn’t it? You must lose your life to find it.”
“If you wish to experience the relationships you long for, abandonment is required. The only way to truly begin to abandon yourself to others, is to know me; for then you can begin entrusting yourself to me, and trusting that I will heal the wounds that always come from this vulnerability.”
