Sometimes I feel as though I live in a perpetual state of culture shock. Preparing to survive off the grid and fight off Babylonian subversive ideas that would harm my children or worse- assimilate them into the anti-Messiah's corrupt system one minute......and wiping spit-up or baby snot off of my newly laundered shirt the next. It's these mundane and humbling "mommy-moments"- laying on the floor, allowing my two young children to crawl all over me or giving them wet "zerberts"- that keep me grounded and focused on living in the now and being grateful, for instance, for even the foggy state of sleep deprivation I constantly live in. If it were not for these moments during which YHVH reminds me of who I am and who needs me, then I would surely become overwhelmed and out of balance.
As I have tried to describe to family members: I (we-my husband and I) live our lives on 2 tracks. One track is planning and preparing to live more off-grid (less dependant on the government and current social system who has its roots in Babylon- see Revelation 18:4, and, to go under cover if necessary to keep our children safe) and the other track is the normal, everyday life with its chores and tasks of putting one foot in front of another to get through each day. It is the going-between these two tracks which serves to tire me out, making me discouraged and faint of heart.
But the fact that this huge chasm remains only serves to remind me that my life is carved out to a purpose that would not be unlike that of Abraham's life. Abraham, the father of our faith, was a man who probably lived in a constant state of culture shock as well. Abraham and Sarah were the quintessential salmons swimming upstream as they sought to serve YHVH in a pagan world.
After all, Abraham did not have everything figured out. We know the "rest of the story....", but he didn't. He walked in trust every step of the way just as you and I do. Obedience was a daily choice for Abraham as well- I am not the first one to think...."Oh, what will it hurt, if I just- take- a- little- rest......"
It is moments like those when, usually, a crisis happens or the Father will remind me that it is NOT ok to just rest awhile, a folding of the hands, a little sleep- that the adversary is real, he is lurking around every corner and waiting to devour whom he can. I am deluded to think that I can just take a little rest and let my guard down, not seeking Abba with everything that is within me everyday. That is when we are led into temptation. That is when we fall back asleep. That is precisely when we need to be vigilantly awake, sober, and obedient to our Heavenly Father and walking in His Torah the most.
That is why it is during seasons like these that I am so encouraged by a friend of mine. We'll just call her "Samantha". She exemplifies the Proverbs 31 woman: caring for her husband and family and using the gifts which Elohim has given her (hello!- intelligence galore!-she is such a gift. And her reputation precedes her- I heard of this woman from other mom friends even before I ever met her)to bless and provide for her loved ones. Only, my respect for my friend Samantha far exceeds the normal I wish-I-could-be-like-you holy envy and veers toward the awe-factor in witnessing what YHVH is doing in the earth today and the kind of treasures He has reserved for Himself during times of great tribulation. The many women in the Body of Messiah who live as the Proverbs 31 woman in Suburbia USA today might be a dime a dozen comparatively. But this friend has actually worked tirelessly and faithfully to get herself off the very grid that supports the believers in the western world as she endeavors to live a life that is truly dependant on the Father and not on Emperor Cesar. (...'render unto Elohim that which is Elohim's and unto Cesar that which is Cesar's')during these stressful and uncertain days. Samantha homeschools her 2 children, she cooks nutritious organic and whole foods from scratch- no small feat in the age of Mc Convenience; and she even specializes in gluten and dairy-free fare for those in her family who are allergic (which is 3/4 of her household).
And yet, it is this friend who offers to come help me with my children while I get caught up on some rest to fight off the remaining vestiges of the seasonal cold virus. I am truly humbled. Many women are at their jobs and busy working hard to take care of the families WITH the modern-day conveniences available to them. And this friend, who works extra hard to make sure her children grow up learning and living in Torah, faithful to the very end, even in troublous times, helps ME? I have no room to complain ever again as a mom or wife. Surely she is a shining example to my life, another salmon swimming upstream-a reflection of Messiah...one of those who follows...the least of these (His) commandments and teaches others (by modeling) to keep them as well. Not only that, but the passage where Yeshua, hanging on the execution stake telling his talmidim about eachother, "Here is your mother...and Here is your brother...." is brought to life in my own faith walk as never before. And she, along with many other God-fearers in this movement, will be called "greatest" in the kingdom of Heaven. Another friend who comes to my mind....who lives with such purity of heart....deserves to have a volume of books written about her example to my life....that would be the subject for another blog.
I suppose this little deviation from end-times discussion today was necessary for me. Not only to remember those who live counter-culturally unto YHVH, as I endeavor to do and whom YHVH blesses, but also to focus more on others and their good deeds and less on myself. I suppose it was in response to a couple of compliments I have received in reaction to this blog recently, that I have not felt comfortable accepting, that I need to give the credit where the credit is really due: to those women in my life who serve as a shining example to me, such as Samantha, who live their lives unto YHVH whether they are standing in the front of a crowd of people teaching, or they are faithfully serving in their private everyday lives the ones Elohim has entrusted to them with patience and without complaining.
As women seeking to live in the pure stream of Torah and by the power of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) in this day and age, we so need to look to women like this as beacons of encouragement, (I am so glad Abba put the example in Prov 31 so we know what to look for!-in the age where the love of many grows cold due to Torah-less-ness) as we seek to live as closely in community as possible and as we are looking UP...for our redemption draweth nigh. It makes the sense of culture shock seem less disheartening and makes it easier to keep fighting the good fight of faith. In a world where men call what is evil good and good evil, it is imperative to have God-fearing women to walk alongside who have the compass right side up in their lives; not only in sound doctrine, but in daily practice as well.
It is these women who keep pointing to the Messiah for me and it is these women who obey in secret who will one day have their (eternal) reward in plain sight.
SHALOM
**
No comments:
Post a Comment