Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice

Does anyone remember the show Beetlejuice? All I remember about it was that it was pretty scary and if you said his name three times, he showed up! Past that, I don't have a large frame of reference on it, but here lately, that's the analogy that comes to mind whenever I think about my faith. Strange, right? Blame it on the 30+ weeks of pregnancy hormones, I guess. But I make this connection because I realized that I often am hesitant to throw my faith out there--meaning out there away from my comfort zone, beyond the potluck-attending, "church is all we know" people that I see every Sunday and Wednesday. As Christians, we're taught that in this life we will have struggles. We read Bible studies that describe the tests of faith that famous Christians have gone through and see the pain and suffering our Christian friends endure. All this may not faze a more mature Christian, but this girl has struggled with that concept lately. It's like I'm scared to boldly proclaim from the mountain tops, "I'm a Christian!" because what test will God have me endure when I do? Heaven forbid I say it three times because surely then the Devil will show up with some tragedy for my family to walk through to prove our faith. So I keep my faith and true love for God locked up in my small-town of Arkansas comfort zone, where I don't have to stretch my faith muscles too much. Is that any way to live? What joys am I missing out on by keeping my excitement for God hidden? Who of His children am I leaving in the dark about His love because I'm too afraid to mention it to them? 

I am, by nature, also not a panicker. I like to be prepared to handle whatever comes my way. But recently, I've wondered if my preparedness doesn't come at a cost. Am I always bracing myself for the struggle and worrying about the possibility of a storm in life that I'm missing out on everything else? Can anyone else relate? There's a song out right now by Hillsong that says," So I will call upon Your name And keep my eyes above the waves.." I love love love this song, but if I rewrote it about my honest behavior where God's plans for me are concerned, it would say, "So I will constantly watch the waves and make sure they don't get too high because I need to be ready just in case I need to swim harder.." Let me tell you something--my version's probably not winning any Dove awards. I am so consumed with being ready to deal with bad situations that I'm missing the good that God has for me. So what if He brings my family to a storm? 2 Corinthians 12:9 says that His power is made perfect in our weakness-- not His power is nice to have in addition to our super-preparedness and obsessive compulsive worrying about _______(fill in the problem). God does promise that in this world we will have struggles, but He also says that He has overcome this world (John 16:33) and that He has plans to prosper us and not to harm us. (Jer. 29:11) 

The fact of the matter is that my family is going to have its troubles and trials regardless of whether I profess my faith boldly or not. The Devil doesn't just attack the most outgoing of Christians. However, by keeping my mouth shut in fear, I'm cutting off my greatest resource-God's power to work through me and for me. I don't have to be ready to face every trial in my own strength. That would be like trying to knock down walls with a Fisher Price hammer when I've got a wrecking ball (No Miley included) right beside me. Praise The Lord, we have an arsenal always at the ready when we need power against the Devil's attacks. Mine is Italian leather-bound and monogrammed as every good Southern woman's Bible should be, but I sure don't use it to its full extent. God's Word is an offensive weapon that we are taught to use as a light to our path and Sword of Truth to attack our enemies. Maybe your enemies are internal, like mine, and you've been fighting the battle of worry and fear for the future-- thinking that you, by yourself, have to be ready to take care of life's problems. Maybe you're also like me in thinking that bold Christians always seem to be facing a lot of trouble, and you think that if you start living out loud, God will make you do that too. Here's a "Duh!" truth that's only recently become obvious to me: God doesn't allow us to go through trials just for fun. He doesn't work that way. What's more, hiding from God's full potential for your life only hinders your fulfillment with life and His work in you. 

I'm making a promise to myself to claim that song as a personal goal: "Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders 

Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior

I will call upon Your Name
Keep my eyes ABOVE the waves..." 

Where that trust in the Spirit may lead me-- I don't know, and I don't have to know. I do know, however, that I'm much better off following my Savior and having Him guide my family's steps upon the water, rather than keeping my feet firmly on the shore worrying about if the water is going to rise up and swallow me. So here we go-- "I'm a Christian! I'm a Christian! I'm a Christian!"