Bubbles

I've been thinking a lot about the bubbles I find myself surrounded in. It's easy to take everything that's important to me and isolate those things in their own bubble. Whether it's my ministry life, my personal life, the way I spend my time & my resources. I often find myself protective over what's mine.

I don't think I'm the only one, right? I look around at the culture around us and there are silos everywhere. Family time. Work time. Even my down-time for the most part is a bubble of my life that is about me...whether it's spent cleaning or doing laundry. It seems easiest to put a big cone around it and call it my own and move on.

Friday mornings are one of my favorite weekly bubbles. It's time spent with a group of Lawrence North students through the Radical LN--Campus Life group, led by Chris Rickelman. I love those early mornings, despite what my glasses, messy pony tail & running clothes might be saying, I really do love beginning the day with this group & God's Word.

Last Friday, we read together in Mark 2 about Jesus healing the paralytic. I've read this story dozens of times throughout my life, but when we studied it last Friday morning--God connected his message in this miracle of healing through Jesus with this thought of life bubbles that I've had rolling around in my heart.

The part of the passage that struck me in a new way, was the boldness and determination of the paralytics friends to get him to Jesus. These guys were willing to cut a hole in the roof of a house to lower him down to be near Jesus.

"And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.  And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay.  And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 

There's a lot we don't know about these men who brought the paralytic to the feet of Jesus. I'm pretty sure it's safe to guess that they all had other stuff going on in their lives. They all had bubbles filled with different obligations and priorities. But they got it. They had the boldness, heart and desire to bring their friend to Jesus no matter what it took. They knew that through Him came healing and redemption. It was worth it to take the time & energy to see this through.

I've been thinking a lot about how many missed opportunities I've had to bring others to Jesus because I've been so isolated within my own bubbles. Even my own ministry. I love that in this story it doesn't say that one dude carried the paralytic to Jesus--but 4 men came together to bring their friend to him. And Jesus saw their faith instantly. I love that reminder--we weren't called or designed to be in this on our own. God has called us to boldness in our faith together. I want more of that boldness. I'm praying for it...I'm clinging to God's grace to help change my heart, to let down the walls of selfishness of my own stuff...the bubbles that fill my life.

I want to be ready to get up on that roof...to be aware of the opportunities I have to lead others to the feet of Jesus.

And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them.  And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.  And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”  Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts,  “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”  And immediately Jesus,perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts?  Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.”  And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”  Mark 2:1-12