It doesn’t happen often that I can’t sleep. As I tried and tried to just settle my mind, I just felt an overwhelming urge to cry, let my emotions spill out and relieve the stress I was feeling. It had been a pretty rough week hearing stories of lives lost to abortion, healing so desperately being sought out, by some, complete calloused denial for others. The bright spot in the week was the Loving Life luncheon with a room of 30 kind, caring and loving individuals who have a deep desire to help bring a movement of reconciliation to our little county of Yamhill, Oregon. What an answer to prayer!
As I prayed through it and asked God what “THAT” was all about, there was an overwhelming sense that that very night 32 years ago, August 15th, that I became pregnant with our first child, our daughter which we only months later chose to end her life through abortion. It’s funny how our soul has such a memory that almost seems to be a part of our inner life record, almost becoming part of our DNA until it comes to a point of reconciliation. So, as I slipped out from under the bed sheets next to my fast-asleep hubby, glancing at the illuminated clock face with a time of 11:37 p.m. I grabbed my note pad wandered down the dark hallway to the quiet living room turned on the dimmer switch light, plopped down on the comfy leather sofa, propping the pillows underneath me, this is what came forth.
How can it be that we have strayed so incredibly far from the image we were created to reflect. We were made, man and woman, so profoundly made in the image of such a beautiful, loving, provisional and infinitely creative God.
Made to bring for life, made to steward and care for all forms of life. To love, nurture, train up and disciple those who come after us. To be fruitful and multiply through a heart and framework of love and respect for all of God’s creation. To see children as God sees the, as a blessing, not a burden, not a curse to be scorned or devalued.
We must, we must, we must, if we are going to survive as a people, change course. Change direction. Change our focus from fear to love. Change our thinking from lack to abundance and possibilities. God has the solutions to all of humanities problems. His plans are good, man separated from God, going his own way is a dangerous course. But, man co-creating and co-laboring with God in partnership is a powerful unstoppable force with in pursuit of love, righteousness and virtue.
We must, each and everyone of us look deep into our own hearts and ask ourselves how we see God, how we see ourselves and how we think God sees us. Because in that foundational framework of those three questions are hidden and do so profoundly impact our view of humanity and life and it’s value itself.
To be made in the image of God…just think for a moment…just think what that means…the LOVE, the PATIENCE, the KINDNESS, the GENTLENESS, the GOODNESS, the FAITHFULNESS, the SELF-CONTROL, the WISDOM and CREATIVITY we are capable of tapping into with Almighty God as our source, as our model, as our Divine prototype.
Why wouldn’t we want to be more and more like Him? What is stopping us from journeying back to that place of God’s design and imagery? What is stopping us as men and women from finding our way back to the wholeness we were created for?
As spiritual beings on a human journey I want to encourage and challenge each and every one of us to take those questions to God. Because of His infinite and unconditional love for all mankind He wants to reveal those things that have prevented, blocked, sidetracked, snared and entangled us from being all that He purposed, planned, designed and created us so uniquely and individually to attain in divine and whole communion with Him to bring our world and humanity back into alignment with Himself, back to the place of peace as we live out our loving design created in His image, creating, nurturing and bringing forth life with infinite possibilities when we partner and co-create with Him, our loving Papa God.
Father, forgive us.