It's Okay Now

I just finished a book by Bill Hybels called Holy Discontent.  In the book he talks about the Popeye moment…

I ‘m not sure how many are familiar with Popeye, but one thing is for certain, Popeye has a serious thing for his Olive Oil.  Which as a side note is proof of two things: (1) beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and (2) you shouldn’t have to do a heck of a lot to attract the right person’s attention.

Downing the Spinach

In every cartoon there comes a point where Olive Oil is in danger and Popeye responds, “I can’t stands it. And I can’t stands it no more.” Then the infamous spinach can is produced and Popeye’s muscles bulge as he proceeds to save the day and the sweet love of his life. *moment of silence*

The thing that Bill Hybels talks about when he references this story is the “I can’t stands it” moment.  He poses the question, “What can’t you stand?” That question has haunted me for years as my heart aches for one thing or the other. I truly believe that we were all fashioned and formed for a particular purpose. Whether we are meant to raise a loving family full of little leaders with hearts to do good, or whether we are meant to walk along the ground of foreign soil, helping the poor, we all have something we were fashioned for. And when we are doing that thing, our hearts are alive and we can withstand the worst of circumstances.  The passion inside of us that aches for the mission before is what drives us.

Today, as I reflect on my Popeye moments I wrestle with all the things that I can’t stand, and I wonder how long it will be before I am chugging my own cans of spinach and moving forward.  I can’t stand the idea of children without the love of a mother and father, poverty and the sad truth that many that profess to be Christians have turned a blind eye to the need that we are called to care about.

Preparation – At least get out the can opener…

For today, I am in the right place, doing the right thing and hanging with the right people.  But while in a time of preparation where I am growing and learning all that I know God has purposed for me to learn, I choose to keep my heart tilted towards the things that “I can’t stands.” And at the moment when the timing is right and I have an open door to impact change in the areas where my heart aches, I’ll be ready and I’ll go.

Care to join me?

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“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”

— C.S. Lewis (The Four Loves)Tweet

You’ve heard it said, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”

Whether or not we make lemonade, we will get lemons.  And the truth is that although lemon juice is bitter and sour, often times we’d rather just stare at the lemon than to go through the necessary process of making it something palatable.  Why in life do we like to dwell in our bitter moments?

What if we decided to make a pact with ourselves to learn how to move past things… to offer others the grace that we need ourselves? What if we decided to walk along the path of personal freedom and offer people a second chance?  It’s a bit harder, but it’ll be much sweeter in the end.

There is something about being able to say, “It’s okay now.”  Once upon a time, it may not have been okay… but now it is.

What a lighthearted feeling that leaves.

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