Hold Me Prisoner

Something recently has captivated my mind . . . it was a phrase I stumbled upon about being a prisoner, and I realized that I'm ready to be held hostage in a new way. 

I have been enslaved before.  I've been a prisoner of bad habits, technology, thinking patterns, other's opinions, busyness and laziness (to name a few).  There are many forms imprisonment can take.  We can be enslaved to people, relationships, food, emotions, drama, money and the things which it buys.  All of these jailers confine and strangle and suffocate.  But there is One who is set apart from all the others.

"Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you"  (Zechariah 9:12).

"Rejoice greatly . . . Shout!  See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation . . . He will proclaim peace to the nations.  His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth" (Zechariah 9:9-10).

I wish to be a prisoner of hope, a hope that does not disappoint.  I wish to be a bondservant of the God of hope (Romans 5:13) that does not destroy, but restores -- a double portion!

I am tired of being entrapped by the cares of this world.  I am tired of the tiny confines I find myself in, cells of my own creating with walls of selfishness, worry, carelessness and other sins.  Instead, I'd like to run to the Fortress whose home is wide and spacious.  So today I I'm journeying to my Strong Tower:

I'm setting my mind on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2).
I'm fixing my eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of my faith (Hebrews 12:2).
I'm committing myself to the encouragement of the Scriptures that give hope (Romans 15:4).
I'm anchoring my soul to the hope of God's unchanging promises through Christ (Hebrews 6:19).

I believe that The King is returning someday.  I believe that, like the Unicorn in The Last Battle, we will be able to say, "I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now. The reason why we loved the old Narnia is that is sometimes looked a little like this."  I believe in a New Heaven and a New Earth. 

But for now, we wait in the shadow. "But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?" (Romans 8:24).

And I believe that Hope will someday be Reality.  So I don't want to lose sight of that which is real, that which is good, that which is more than what is here in front of me. I'm tearing down walls that confine, and I'm letting my mind be captivated once again by hope.

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope -- the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:11-13).







I'm praising Him today that in His hope there is great freedom, and I am remaining captivated by His enduring love and His generous abundance that allows me to count to 1,000.

Gifts #257 - 287:

a God of Hope

a Hope to come

that it will be MORE

that we can count on loving it because of the good we know here

Prince Caspian . . . a movie to remind me again of a world to come

good authors, such as C.S. Lewis

cool night air for sleeping

rain

beautiful morning walks with The Thinker

first soccer games played and won

two teams of players we love

a husband who loves to coach his boys

Baby Girl wrote on the piano keys with purple crayon, not purple permanent marker

the terrible twos are just a phase, even if entered early

a husband's help

easy dinners

my crockpot

coming home late to a cooked meal

the smell of clean laundry

a washing machine

a dryer

Hold Me Prisoner

Her Mother's Hope

Relationships are so complicated and complex.  Trying to discern our own motives are difficult, and when we try to peek into another's heart, it's even more confusing.  After all, "Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy"  (Proverbs 14:10).

And yet, we seek to understand.  "The purposes of a man's heart are deep water, but a man of understanding draws them out" (Proverbs 20:5). 

Francine Rivers is seeking to draw out deep water in Her Mother's Hope, the first of a two-book saga called Marta's Legacy.  Ms. Rivers is at the top of my favorite author's list, so I was eagerly anticipating this book.  I have said before that my only complaint about her is that she hasn't written enough books.  And my favorite genre is historical fiction.  This book did not disappoint. 

The heroine of the novel is a strong-willed independent woman.  I love that.  Marta is determined to flee an abusive father in Switzerland and pursue her dreams wherever they lead her in the years before the First World War.  I found myself rooting for her to succeed and sorrowing with her through her difficulties.  She eventually lands in Canada and starts a family of her own.  It is in her mothering that we really begin to see the relationships unfold -- the conflicts, the drama, the bitterness, the joy. 

And it is in her mothering of Hildie, her oldest daughter, that Marta frustrated me and infuriated me most. But she also captivated me.  She caused me to examine my mothering and to attempt to view it from where my children stand.  Do they see my prodding and expectations as severe?  Do they know, know, know that I love them and am proud of them?  And how often do I bungle the relationships of the very ones I love so dearly in the name of trying to do what's best for them?

Her Daughter's Dream, the conclusion of Marta's Legacy, will not be out until the fall of this year.  However, the thoughts and questions the book stirred within me will keep me company as I wait. 

Her Mother's Hope