The Mirror

I’ve always had a vivid imagination and like most kids, I pretended to be my favourite characters from books, TV, and movies. I would run around the house or the back yard, acting out scenes, sometimes with a makeshift piece of costuming. While I still admit that dressing up and playing a character is fun, it naturally becomes less of a daily activity as you get older. I held onto it in some way by turning some of that imagination into a passion for writing fiction. I was still becoming a character and playing out a scenario, it was just in my mind and then on paper. I still write sometimes. Some of the stories I write are about characters I’ve made up on my own, but a fair amount is what is often termed “fan fiction” – stories you write using characters and settings someone else created. Whichever type of story I am writing, I often craft the story by thinking, “I know x, y, and z, about this character. How would they react to this particular situation?” That is basically fiction writing 101.

All of that probably seems fairly normal and obvious. What I’m not sure is quite as common, is becoming so wrapped up in thinking like a character that you almost feel like you have physically transformed into them. I tried so many ways of writing that sentence to make it not sound insane, and maybe it doesn’t sound as weird as I think. Or maybe it does. But I’m okay with that … I think. Of course, I know 100% that I am still me. I am not a shape shifter or anything mythical like that. But there are some times that I get so into my imagination, that I feel like I’m looking out on the real world through a particular character’s eyes.

I have admit that I did this just a few minutes ago. I’ve spent much of this afternoon watching episodes of a longtime favourite show, Star Trek Voyager. I really love the character of Captain Kathryn Janeway. Part of that is certainly because I’ve always been a girl who was more interested in action and adventure stories than sweet fairy tales, and more often than not, the heroes in those stories were men. I didn’t let being a girl stop me from playing as them, but I always knew that whenever I pretended to be these characters, I was just the “girl version.” Now, Star Trek did have a lot of female characters I really liked and would play make-believe as. The show typically portrayed men and women as equal and a few female captains had been shown or mentioned, but Janeway was the first female captain at the centre of one of the TV series. Pretty much immediately, I wanted to be her. She was smart, scientifically minded, strong, determined, diplomatic when necessary, and forceful when that failed. But those things describe most ship captains in the show. But what made Janeway great for me is that she got to have all the fun the typically male heroes had while still wearing dresses and makeup, enjoying bubble baths, delighting in animals and flowers, and spending time reading while drinking a cup of coffee or tea. She even made a quilt for a baby born on the ship. Okay, so maybe I still want to be Janeway. There are more and more female action heroes these days, but since I’m a longtime Trekkie, Janeway will always be a personal go-to.

About 30 minutes ago, I finished watching another episode of Voyager and then started looking at my phone. When I looked back up across the room, I felt like I was looking at my surroundings through Kathryn Janeway’s eyes . Now, aside from the fact that we’re both Caucasian women with light-ish hair and eyes, I look nothing like Kate Mulgrew who played Janeway. But at that moment, my imagination said I did. I can make my internal voice sound like hers and mimic some of her mannerisms if I want to. It is fun to pretend.

Then I got up and walked past a mirror and my eyes said “No, you really don’t look like anyone but yourself.” That reminded me of a verse in the Bible that talks about just that kind of situation. “But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.” James 1:22-24. James certainly wasn’t talking about playing dress-up or fun make-believe. He was talking about the natural human tendency to view ourselves in a different way depending on our viewpoint. We may have an inflated opinion of ourselves and believe we are the most wonderful thing on Earth. Or we may be discouraged and think we have no value or skill. Or anything in between. James goes on to give us the solution to these skewed views – God’s Word. “But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but one who does good works – this person will be blessed in what he does.” James 1:25

Will I stop pretending to be Captain Kathryn Janeway? Not likely 😉 In fact, I feel a bit of fan fiction brewing like a pot of Janeway’s beloved coffee. Will I base my life on her? I can take some of the good parts: her compassion, loyalty, and intelligence. But when it really matters, I need to base my life on my Saviour.

“But whoever keeps His word, truly in him the love of God is perfected. This is how we know we are in Him: The one who says he remains in Him should walk just as He walked.” I John 2:5-6

“Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5

GERM Day 20

G – Gospel: Matthew 10: 26-31

As a real bird lover, it hits home when Jesus says I am worth more than many sparrows. I’m quite fond of sparrows. In fact, my favourite native songbird is the White Throated Sparrow. Jesus is saying that as much as God enjoys His creation – why would He make so much variety if He didn’t enjoy it? – just one person is worth more to Him than a large chunk of creation. Judging by what Jesus went through to bring us back into a relationship with God, I’d say that large chunk is about the size of … oh, let’s say, the entire universe. So anytime I’m feeling afraid or worthless, all I have to do is think of a sparrow.

E – Encourage: Esther 4

I’m much more of a fan of reading fiction or even biography rather than informative books. I had a hard time reading books assigned in school and have to be really captured by a topic, author, or writing style to read something without a narrative. With that said, it probably wouldn’t surprise you that the books and passages in the Bible that tell fleshed out, sweeping stories are some of my favourites. I love the story of Daniel who was so faithful to God in such a difficult situation. I would love to say I am like him, but I know I’m not that brave, steadfast, determined, and faithful. I feel a bit more connected to another Jewish hero: Esther. Though living in captivity, the Jews that Esther lived among were really in an okay position. They weren’t slaves like that had been in Egypt. They had homes and were free to travel, at least as far as I know. Still, Satan had to have another try at wiping out God’s favourite people.

God already knew exactly what was going to happen and as Mordecai said, Esther was positioned exactly where she needed to be to save God’s people. A while ago, I saw a movie called “One Night With the King” which is a dramatization of Esther’s story. Of course it takes a few liberties but it is a lovely depiction, nonetheless. It clearly showed how Esther was afraid when she thought about going to the king when she hadn’t been called for. The previous queen had been removed from her position for slighting the king. Esther risked her life by going into the throne room without being called. She pushed past that fear with prayer and the strength of God and was able to open the king’s eyes to what his evil advisor Haman had caused him to do.

I also want to think that I would be like Esther in that type of situation, but I’m not sure. There is at least more chance since I know I’ve already pushed through some difficult things with God’s help. I know that God has a purpose for every one of His children. I just have to be ready to follow through with any opportunity that is presented in order to fulfill the reason why I am placed where I am.

R – Reflect: What does this mean for me?

I guess I wrote a little bit about this in the previous section, but I have to make those words real. It is super easy to draft a sentence and type it out. It is much more difficult to put it into practice. I can think of times that I should have said something different or done more. I can only pray that God was able to use the little that I did for His glory and, from now on, work to be bolder and more faithful.

M – Meet

Last night I went to the music practice for the Christmas services that my church with be holding Sunday morning and Monday night. I didn’t feel like going because I was tired and it was late but I went because I was needed to set up the slides the congregation would use to follow the words of the music as they sing. I was having one of my moments of anxiety and feeling totally out of sorts. God used that practice to speak to me. The work of making sure the right words were in the right place gave me something other than myself to focus on and the content of the words brought me back to looking at Jesus instead of everything that needs to be done.

Tonight I am going to pray that the 2 Christmas services will have the same impact on those who attend. God has already used the music and verses chosen. He can certainly use them more.

Passages for tomorrow: Mark 12: 28-34 and I John 4:7-5:5

GERM Day 19

G – Gospel: Mark 6:1-6

It seems to me that there are 4 different types of attitudes toward knowing Jesus. The first is the group that doesn’t know Jesus and definitely doesn’t want to. I would lump the Pharisees and Sadducees from Jesus time in this group. The ones who were always seeking a way to catch Jesus out and discredit or dispose of Him didn’t really know who He was. The only thing they knew is that He was discrediting them in the eyes of the rest of the people. He was bringing them down to the common level. Anything or anyone that did that had to go.

The second attitude is of those who know of Jesus and only want to know Him for what He gives them. There were lots of people who sought Jesus out purely because they heard He could heal them physically. While I have a feeling that Jesus loved helping people in any way He could, physical healing was not what He came to earth for. He had a much deeper and more lasting message that these kinds of people didn’t really care to hear.

The third type is the true follower. Jesus inner circle of 12 disciples along with anyone else who craned their head just to hear any word He spoke were the people who knew Him the best. Though it took a long while for the actual meaning of His arrival as Messiah to sink in – three years worth of time – these people were the ones who eventually got it. And once they had it, they never forgot.

The fourth type are the ones in this passage. These are the people who know Jesus so well that they can’t imagine Him being anything beyond what is in front of their eyes and between their own ears. They just couldn’t imagine that the Jesus they watched grow up playing with His siblings and following Mary and Joseph around town was anything more than a man from a decent family in a small town.

I kind of get that, but I also know that the people we love most can surprise us with things we never knew about them. My mom recently told me about a movie she watched in which a baby was born with severe handicaps and his family was told that he would never improve and pretty much had no capacity to learn anything. He only had real control over moving one foot. He spent quite a few years with no one really teaching him to talk or read or anything. He simply sat in a chair in the family home and watched things around him. One day, a piece of chalk was lying near his foot, and he astonished his family by picking it up with his toes and writing on the floor. He had learned to read and write while watching his siblings with their school work. He eventually became a celebrated artist and writer.

What if Christy Brown’s family had said that what he wrote on the floor was just a fluke or he was merely mimicking something he had seen with no real understanding of what it meant? I doubt he would have achieved the things he did without his family looking past what they were told and had experienced about his level of ability. I wonder if this was the kind of thing Jesus was thinking when He was amazed at the unbelief of the people of Nazareth.

E – Encourage: Titus 2: 11-14

This passage is a wonderful expression of Jesus true mission on earth, the very thing that only one of the groups above understood. A gracious and forgiving God sent His own Son to rescue as many people as He could so we could all be together as the family we were meant to be.

R – Reflect: What does this mean for me?

I don’t mean to brag when I say that I would be in the 3rd group above. In fact, I can only say that I am in that group, but I’m certainly not up there rubbing shoulders with Peter and Matthew. There are a lot of things that Jesus said and is still saying and doing that I miss because I’m walking along toward the back of the group. I need to learn to pick up my pace and move closer to Jesus.

M – Meet

Today I want to pray specifically for some people I know who are kind of in the 4th group. Through talking with them or hearing of their beliefs, it seems like they know what they believe about Jesus and about God and they won’t listen to any different ideas or new information. I want them to get to know the real Jesus, not because I want to be right, but because I want them to get right with God before they’re left saying, “Hey, isn’t that Mary’s son?”

Passages for tomorrow: Matthew 10: 26-31 and Esther 4

GERM Day 18

G – Gospel: Matthew 7:13-29

I was just having a conversation with my mom and a dear friend from church about how these days there seem to be so few absolutes. Well, aside from the fact that there are no absolutes … other than the fact that the Christian’s are wrong. There’s a little bit of a rant in there, but let’s just steer clear of that.

You can kind of see why a world that doesn’t want to be told what is right and what is wrong would want to stay away from Jesus. Though we know there are such things as Christian liberty and diverse choices on non-essentials, Jesus sees the most important things as absolutes. You’re either on the broad road or the narrow road. No one is in the grass in between. You’re either producing good fruit or producing bad fruit. It doesn’t vary with the seasons or the weather. You’re either living in a house that will stand on a rock or fall on your head.

In my opinion, that is so much easier to handle. Of course, I’ve never been one to simply enjoy blazing my own trail because I can, so following the narrow road has been easier for me than it might be for some. It must be difficult though to always be figuring things out for yourself, to plant your foot where you want to stand, and then defend that spot against the people who think you should be standing 2 feet to the left. I find it much easier to say, “I’m gonna stand next to Jesus.”

E – Encourage: Galatians 4:1-7

Here I see another set of absolutes. I am either a child of God or I am not. Again, that is actually reassuring to me. I know that I have been adopted by God so I am absolutely His child. I don’t have to wonder if He loves me, or if I’m going to heaven someday. I can’t offend Him enough that He will disown me. It is natural for humans to doubt and struggle with their own thoughts and feelings, but God doesn’t. He knows who belongs to Him and He will never go back on His promises.

R – Reflect: What does this mean for me?

In a world full of choices of who to follow, what posts to like, and what channel to subscribe to, it is encouraging to know that there is one decision I only had to make once. It is even more encouraging to remember that God never changes. I can count on Him to always be the same God who gave everything He had just to secure a relationship with me.

M – Meet

I think today is another good day to simply thank God for who He is, to thank Jesus for being so definite, and to spend time connecting through the Holy Spirit.

Passages for tomorrow: Mark 6:1-6 and Titus 2:11-14

The Flock

I will admit, some birds are really dumb. Once, while we were trying to catch a Wompoo Fruit Dove in our aviary, the bird tried to avoid my net by flying between me and the wall I was practically touching. He got wedged between my back and the wall and I was able to gently pick him up and put him in a carrier. Other birds are so reliant on their flock that we as bird keepers often joke that they only have one brain cell to share among them. Flamingos are a prime example.

Our flock of Chilean Flamingos lives in a grassy yard attached to a building we call the Round Barn. Most days, they spend their time standing around the edge of their pool or eating out of the food pans on stands in the middle of the pool. The coral-pink of their feathers stands out sharply against the green grass, making this a striking exhibit. Whenever the keeper goes into the exhibit to clean the pool or put out food, the birds move to the other side of the yard in a big bunch that looks a bit like a giant wad of bubblegum being carried by a dozen ants. As soon as the keeper finishes their work and leaves, the blob of pink wanders back toward the edge of the pool. The only time this routine varies much is during the winter when a storm threatens to get a little nasty. Though these birds often live in the mountains in the wild and are fairly cold tolerant, we want them to stay warm and dry during a storm, so we bring them into a pair of stalls in the Round Barn. This might sound easy when you think that they are used to moving away from a keeper in their yard. In that sense, it is easy. Two or three keepers will go into the flamingo yard and form a loose human wall, directing the birds toward the door. The door is the same size as a standard door in a house – not big enough for the whole flock of flamingos to walk through in one bunch. Smarter birds like the cranes and storks that also live in the Round Barn handle this task easily and efficiently by forming a single file line and walking calmly inside. Flamingos panic. They look at the wall of humans walking toward them and start moving toward the barn. They look at the approaching wall of the barn and think, “Oh no, that’s a wall. We can’t go through that!” completely ignoring the wide open door. Turning away from the stone wall, they see that the wall of people has gotten quite a bit closer and is showing no sign of stopping. Eventually, the birds are trapped in a small corner of the yard, with the line of keepers in a semicircle around them on one side and the rock wall of the barn on the other. They mill around in an anxious blob until one brave bird, accessing more than his fair share of the communal brain cell suddenly realizes that one part of the wall is darker than the rest and doesn’t have rocks in it. This bird will take a tentative step through this miraculous opening and find he is getting farther away from the menacing wall of humans. Then, like ketchup squeezed through one of those “no mess” caps, the whole group of flamingos streams through the door in a mad rush, and finds a clean, comfortable stall to spend the night in.

The Bible often compares us to sheep, another flock animal that tends to think as a single unit. Many of us are followers, content to be carried along in the comfort and safety of the accepted path. But, in Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus tells us to break free of the crowd. “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.”