Today is 4/20. I learned this morning this is otherwise known as Weed Day. As in pot. When even the Wall Street Journal references this notable date as such, I suppose it is indeed, Weed Day. And I can't stop laughing. But for the record, I'm not high. That's not something I do. I do not believe in that cause.
But I do believe God has a sense of humor. And He got me this morning. And it was a doozie (NOT a doobie). You see, a few days ago, I wished a friend a happy birthday. And in doing so, I referenced him to Ps. 46:2, which I shall not quote just yet. But at the time, I thought it was funny and appropriate, as we go along with this thing called aging.
Now, some time ago, our youngest daughter approached me with a senior trip proposal. This was to join my brother and his family as they travelled out west to Yosemite National Park. What a great idea, I thought! She'll be with her cousin in the great outdoors! And so we said yes! Enthusiastically so!
So time passes and yesterday, I sat down to review some emails my brother had sent me regarding this impending venture. That's when I saw the Half Dome of Yosemite. That's when I read about Half Dome. That's when I read "Ten Tips to Surviving Half Dome." That's when I panicked. Parental Fail. We are sending our daughter on a high risk hike. Scratch that. It's somewhere between a hike and a climb. More like a climb.....a crawl up a sheer rock face with some metal railing to hold onto....which they recommend you clip into. To fall is to die. Like I said, Parental Fail.
So this morning I sit down to my devotional. I pleasantly sit down with my new devotional book. I got it yesterday at Costco. In fact, I went to Costco on inspiration yesterday. Why don't you go to Costco? Boom, the thought popped into my head. And I thought, yeah, why not?! So off I went. And there I was looking at books and I came upon the devotional "Jesus Calling" (Sarah Young). There, a spritely older woman appeared by my side and she said, "That's a great book." She praised the book for a minute or two and based on her recommendation, I bought it. ( I thought then, somewhat suspiciously, that perhaps she was a messenger.)
But that's how I opened my new devotional. And at the bottom of today, 4/20, it referenced Ps. 46:2. I'm not good with Scripture and references and numbers. But the ideas of the Scripture generally stick with me. So, at first, I did not see this coming. The numbers Ps. 46:2 did not ring a bell. But as I turned to the page, I felt a sense of familiarity. And as I read the Scripture, I was stunned. Ps. 46:2? "We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom." (The Message).
Wait a minute! Wait just-a-cotton-pickin'-minute! That's my line! "Uh, no, excuse me, Merry, that's MY line," says God. "And you've got a daughter climbing up Half Dome. AHAHAHAHAHA!"
I threw it out there to my friend, and then God came along and said, "No. Really. Seriously, 'We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom.' Your daughter and all that. AHAHAHA!!!" And the more I think about it, the funnier it gets. And I'm not smoking anything! But contemplate this (toke free, please). We really do stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom. We just celebrated Easter. And what is that all about? It's about aging and death and Half Dome and heights. It's about defying gravity (for you 'Wicked' fans out there, go ahead and sing the song!). Defying gravity. And we do that, with Christ. Really. Seriously.
We get up everyday and we brave illnesses and car wrecks and tragedy. I have sadness in my own life, and yet I can laugh. I have friends, multiple friends, who have experienced the deepest of griefs, and they continue to live them.....yet they can laugh in the midst of their cliff-edges of doom. Did you hear that? They can laugh in the midst of their cliff-edges of doom. Indeed, some of them have fallen over the cliff-edge.....and they're still laughing.....because Jesus is right there with them. He gives them the power to smile, to dare laugh.
And so, I got slapped on the back by Jesus Himself. He called this morning. "Jesus Calling."
" 'We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom.' Psalm 46:2. Really. Seriously. AHAHAHA!" -- Jesus
