You Can Call Me Gwen

Come Closer

 

Do you remember learning about Miles Standish in your early American history studies?

We often call this Miles of ours...

 

 

...Miles Standoffish.

Because, Miles, when we sit down, often comes and sits down in front of us, looks at us with his big puppy dog eyes and puts out his paw to tell us to please pet him, talk to him, scratch his ears, love him.

But...Miles always sits just at the far end of our reach and makes it difficult for us to give him what he wants and needs and what we love to supply.

So, this morning, when I sat down and he positioned himself in front of me and I was struggling to love on him, I pulled on his collar to bring him closer (into my lap, actually) and I said:

"Oh, Miles. Sweet boy. Come closer. You've got to come closer to get all this love."

Those words had barely left my lips when I heard Jesus say:

"Naomi, that's exactly why I want you to come closer."

He doesn't want me to come closer so he can upbraid me for all of my faults and failures, or take away things I enjoy, or put more strictures on my life.

He wants me to come closer to experience more of His love.

Oh, God, help me come closer!

 

 

Yea, though I walk...

 

A morning or two ago, I was reading Psalm 23 before Miles and I set out for our walk on the mean streets.

 

 

When I stopped to take this photo of our shadows (because I liked the way the latest addition to our found flatware 'set' showed up), it brought to mind verse four of that Psalm.

       "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death..."

And then I recalled a story I heard years ago, of how one man explained this 'shadow of death' to a child.

I wish I could find the original source of that story for you in its entirety.

What I DO remember about it is that they were walking down a busy street as they spoke together.

A very large truck passed between them and the sun, casting a deep shadow over them for a few moments.

The man turned to the child and asked, "Would you rather the shadow of that truck passed over you, or the truck itself?"

I was awestruck.

I am going to die an earthly death, but because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, I have been given eternal life.

The truck ran over Jesus.

Only the shadow will pass over me.