Here we go again. Why Rudolph's story makes me, let's say, ill. Though some would say it's a story of redemption, I'm thinkin' it's not God's kind. He doesn't make us prove we're remarkable before He calls us worthy. Godly redemption is nothing like that.
(Yeah, yeah... I'm over-thinking this, but hey. We all gotta take a stand somewhere.) :)
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Posted yearly since 2006:
The movie, Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer bothers me and I roll my eyes each time I hear the song on my kitchen radio.
I mean, think about it... Here's this adorably-cute reindeer who just happened to be born with a bright, red nose. As if he could help it! And suddenly he grows up, goes to reindeer school and gets ridiculed (dare I say bullied?) by his intolerant, bratty little schoolmates just because his bright, cherry-red nose isn't small, dark and boring liking everyone else's.
And because of that one little difference, he's laughed to scorn and the majority don't take the time to discover that, really, Rudolph is a darn nice kid... uh, reindeer. He loves his parents, he's sweet and he just wants to be accepted like everyone else at reindeer school. But no, that's asking too much. Even his teachers laugh at him (shame on them!).
But then, poof! Suddenly, Christmas Eve rolls in all foggy-like and since Santa can't see to drive his sleigh, Christmas is nearly cancelled. But then someone remembers that goofy little kid, Rudolph, the one with the nose like a huge red lantern, and Rudolph is whisked to the head of the reindeer pack and Christmas is saved, thanks to that funny little kid... uh, reindeer, who, just the previous week, was considered a royal loser.
Oh but now--now!--Rudolph is a hero. And then how the reindeer 'loved him' (if that's love, I'll take spaghetti). They even shouted-out with glee, because of course, now, Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer is going down in history.
But only after he proved himself a useful member of society. Only after his 'disability' saved Christmas for all of mankind. Only after Rudolph became a valuable asset, a famous reindeer and a credit to his family and the entire world at large.
Give me a break.
Right there is the kind of stuff which is messing us all up, stressing us out and making us appreciation-hungry nuts. The fact is, Rudolph was valuable before that foggy Christmas Eve. He was a creation of God, a son, a friend, a member of woodland society and just a sweet little deer. And here is the truth:
Today you are valuable to God.
Today God loves you just as you are, famous or unknown. For you are not unknown to Him.
Today God would have sent Jesus to die for you, to redeem you, even if you were the only person on Earth.
Today, with God, you are a winner, not a loser.
Today, you do not have to prove yourself to God. He knows your weaknesses and He's standing ready to give you His strength in those areas.
Today, even if you overcame all your weaknesses, God would not love you any better than He does right this minute.
Today God is thrilled that you are His child and He wouldn't trade you for all the perfect, got-it-all together, famous, Christmas-saving people in the whole World.
Really.
And I hope you'll remember that.
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" If I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God’s love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal." ... 1 Corinthians 13:1
We are too much haunted by ourselves, projecting the central shadow of self on everything around us. And then comes the Gospel to rescue us from this selfishness. Redemption is this, to forget self in God.
Author: Frederick W. Robertson
Just as I am, Thou wilt receive, Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve, Because Thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come, I come! Just as I am, Thy love unknown, Hath broken every barrier down; Now to be Thine, yea, Thine alone, O Lamb of God, I come, I come!
... Charlotte Elliott
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A Portrait of Dawn
"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." ... Psalm 147:3
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A couple weekends ago, Tom and I rewatched our Lord of The Rings dvd's. Yes, again. And the weird thing is that, while closing my eyes during the battle scenes (like always), I recalled how I used to watch Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken ** during my personal Bad Times in Nevada.
And in Nevada I had a lot of personal bad times.
Back then I'd get Naomi off to school, do some housework, then make a snack and put in that (ever-thinning) Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken video. I'd watch everybody and even the horse being brave and I'd feel myself begin to heal from--what? I asked myself this time, here at Hobbit Cottage on the red couch. "What sent me twenty times to that movie and later, others like these here in New York?:"
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Home Alone
Rear Window
Prancer
Road to Avonlea
The best part? My brain had to s-t-r-a-i-n to remember why I'd park in front of those films and have 'Healing Waiting Room' times. At first, I could only recall my need to.
But then, alas, I remembered: usually I needed comfort because of people's accusing, I-don't-get-you words. Words spoken to me or about Naomi (people don't say bad things about Tom. Everybody loves Tom. heh.) Occasional harsh words also spoken to me by Tom or Naomi, then my own words lashing out to defend myself and spreading more hurt (and guilt) around.
Oh, the power of our words! And oh, the time it can require to heal from the rash, unkind ones.
But thank-goodness God can change things. He not only heals the broken-hearted, but He can make those hearts stouter, more forgiving, stronger. You know, so strengthened by His great love that we stop shattering all over the place. And rejection doesn't sting the same way when we no longer allow people to crawl up on the throne of our heart.
No, when God's up there alone, Life changes. What He thinks and the way He loves us suddenly becomes what we crave and respond to most. And with Him finally taming our tongue, we stay out of lots of problems we previously stepped into like clueless askers-for-trouble.
He becomes our true Healer. And yes, He can use others and even movies, books, songs and outings (etc.) to help the process--but still--the final sealing of all wounds comes from His hand and we know it. When He is truly King. And, in time, we come to desire or need little else in the way of first aid.
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** You might want to only read through half of the description of this movie at that link. The last half contains, imo, major what-were-they-thinking? spoilers.
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Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life]. ... Proverbs 18:21
"For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone."
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So last night we attended Tom's office Christmas party and fortunately it didn't require that we travel through a snowstorm down the wild, treacherous New York state thruway. You know, like last year.
No, this time the drive was serene, along the moonlit Niagara River even, to an old National Guard armory built in 1896. I used to drop off Naomi there to play youth basketball what seems like only a handful of years ago, but turns out to be 19. Oh dear, that Time character! He zips around too speedily for me.
Anyway, always I'd wanted to see inside that armory with its looming, dark-brick hugeness and its turrets and so my favorite part of the evening was the story we were given of its history. After three wandering violinists finished, well, wandering, a young woman at the microphone told us early 1900's men used to practice their drills and maneuvers in that very room and suddenly I could see them! Even hear echoes of their marching boots from over a century away.
But crowds of people stood at the bar and talked loudly throughout the woman's whole presentation and I had to resist the urge to resent their rudeness. Sadly, some folks just don't get it and never will and slowly I'm learning to accept such truths. And move on to those who ask for my help.
A band performed while we ate dinner and we played the ol' Shouting To Be Heard Game with Tom's favorite co-worker and his sweet wife. A couple speeches were made, one by a man retiring after 33 years and I appreciated his thanking us spouses who stay behind when our loved ones travel. Really, that meant much.
Tom spoke with a ton of people, I shook many hands and nodded a lot, brushing up on my lip reading. When it became Tom-and-Debra-late, we visited some of the (blessedly quiet) rooms open to our group, ones like this:
And this:
Lots of photos were taken of us last night, but only one survived my picky deleting finger because it came out darkish and you can barely see us (just the way I like it):
But even so, I looked at it and thought, "Gah. We've certainly reaped what we have sown! Tomorrow we go on the Mediterranean Diet."
And we are. Seriously. But never fear-- you won't hear the details here because I'm not a fan of blogs which talk about diets or clothes or hairstyles or other temporal things. No, I prefer deeper stuff which, I like to think, will always matter, even in Heaven.
Anyway, there you go--my annual report of our yearly night out. It was lovely, an appreciated change and yet, oh, how good to drive back home through the dark night over streets heavy with pleasant memories of fifteen years in that area.
And how even more marvelous to pull into our own driveway and then return to the cats and warm, golden rooms of Hobbit Cottage.
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