The exchange
I remember as a little girl, I had a kids record player, I had story books that you played the record and you followed along in the book. I had different fairytales, such as Snow White, Cinderella, Peter Pan (which was always was my favorite) and a few others. I would play them over and over again on that record player. Being a little girl dreaming.... imagining..... I was the only girl in the neighborhood so there were times that being around the boys was exhausting and I needed a break... so I would spend time reading and listening... dreaming as a little girl should.
As I grew, I exchanged the fairytales for 45's but I still dreamed and imagined what this grown up world would look like..... where would I live.... what I would be doing.... who my prince would be....
Now that I have exchanged records for an IPOD, I realize that the dreams are more limited and the imagination seems tired. Its funny how life and time changes all aspects of all things.... the dreams of little girls and fairytales are exchanged for dreams of the tropics and simply finding time to just be.... wondering where the dreams of happily ever after went... did the map to my dream get lost...
I was in the midst of a conversation the other day where it was stated that fairytales don't really exist, that sometimes you have to just take what is given. I asked if this was settling, they said they didn't think so.
I wonder where the shift took place in my growing up, the exchange happened from believing in the prince and the white horse to just accepting what presents itself.... the exchange for castle by sea ended up being a hut in the woods...
Is it a hope deferred?
Culture demands that you do the exchange, from the best to the acceptable... but doesn't Christ want to give us the best.... doesn't He encourage us to wait for the best.... Didn't HE give the best...
He isn't the fairytale because He is better than the tale, He is truth and reality at its finest.
Are we open to the acceptable because it is what appears tangible in front of us and because we haven't seen anything in the wait so, we grasp the acceptable, because it has shown itself first and its in front of us and the wait for the best is taking way too long? We are simply tired...
I am not just talking about relationships but dreams in general.... those intimate and deep dreams that were planted in our hearts from the start.
Do we make the exchange because of the competitions we perceive ourselves in? To be the best, look the best, to perform the best (yes that word again).... The one ups in our life, where we are constantly trying to one up some one.... or does it happen to numb the deep pain, to plug the hole that goes through our heart because yet one more wound.... one more lost dream...
I was looking for the verse about how HE made each of us uniquely, in the process of the hunt I noticed how often Jesus was labeled unique. If GOD made His Son unique, did HE not make me the same way, unique. Did HE not make you the same way, unique. That basically screams that we are not meant to look, react, respond, speak, live, breath in the same exact manner as another. We wont dream and desire in the exact manner as well.... but don't we receive others opinions that make being unique difficult....
I have a friend who has faced some of the most difficult of circumstances, but she handles it in the strongest of ways, I think I have seen her cry twice and I don't think she even wanted me to see those two episodes.... She rarely shows me her weak moments and likes being known as strong in facing her giant. She gives God the credit. I find myself comparing my self to her, she takes five minutes to shake something off, I take five hours, she smiles and goes on, I want to flip someone off.... (how is that for transparency) I find myself comparing my reactions to hers and find that I come up way short.... It is in these moments that I can see the exchange of what is unique, the dream, to being the acceptable. The exchange of my uniqueness for wanting to fit in and be accepted, Its not her that forces this, it is my perception of my short comings compared to her. My interpretation of what is being said to me.... But I have to remind myself that I have some five minute responses where she has five hours shake offs. I may not see them all but I have strengths. She has unconditional love but I have unconditional compassion. She is strong in serving, I am strong in encouraging. This is all part of the being unique.... But it is the competition that snatches the best for the acceptable. And honestly keeps me from being my unique self so become what is acceptable rather than the unique....
This day greets me with much on my heart and mind.... longing for the days of the old record player with the fairytales playing but trying to allow the new stories that are meant to be written and walked out today in my IPOD world..... trying to wait for the best, HIS best in all areas.... asking HIM to help me keep my eyes on HIM and being reminded that HIS best for me is as unique to me as I am to this world.... and worth the wait..... And that it is I that make the exchange, not HIM asking me to do so....
As I grew, I exchanged the fairytales for 45's but I still dreamed and imagined what this grown up world would look like..... where would I live.... what I would be doing.... who my prince would be....
Now that I have exchanged records for an IPOD, I realize that the dreams are more limited and the imagination seems tired. Its funny how life and time changes all aspects of all things.... the dreams of little girls and fairytales are exchanged for dreams of the tropics and simply finding time to just be.... wondering where the dreams of happily ever after went... did the map to my dream get lost...
I was in the midst of a conversation the other day where it was stated that fairytales don't really exist, that sometimes you have to just take what is given. I asked if this was settling, they said they didn't think so.
I wonder where the shift took place in my growing up, the exchange happened from believing in the prince and the white horse to just accepting what presents itself.... the exchange for castle by sea ended up being a hut in the woods...
Is it a hope deferred?
Culture demands that you do the exchange, from the best to the acceptable... but doesn't Christ want to give us the best.... doesn't He encourage us to wait for the best.... Didn't HE give the best...
He isn't the fairytale because He is better than the tale, He is truth and reality at its finest.
Are we open to the acceptable because it is what appears tangible in front of us and because we haven't seen anything in the wait so, we grasp the acceptable, because it has shown itself first and its in front of us and the wait for the best is taking way too long? We are simply tired...
I am not just talking about relationships but dreams in general.... those intimate and deep dreams that were planted in our hearts from the start.
Do we make the exchange because of the competitions we perceive ourselves in? To be the best, look the best, to perform the best (yes that word again).... The one ups in our life, where we are constantly trying to one up some one.... or does it happen to numb the deep pain, to plug the hole that goes through our heart because yet one more wound.... one more lost dream...
I was looking for the verse about how HE made each of us uniquely, in the process of the hunt I noticed how often Jesus was labeled unique. If GOD made His Son unique, did HE not make me the same way, unique. Did HE not make you the same way, unique. That basically screams that we are not meant to look, react, respond, speak, live, breath in the same exact manner as another. We wont dream and desire in the exact manner as well.... but don't we receive others opinions that make being unique difficult....
I have a friend who has faced some of the most difficult of circumstances, but she handles it in the strongest of ways, I think I have seen her cry twice and I don't think she even wanted me to see those two episodes.... She rarely shows me her weak moments and likes being known as strong in facing her giant. She gives God the credit. I find myself comparing my self to her, she takes five minutes to shake something off, I take five hours, she smiles and goes on, I want to flip someone off.... (how is that for transparency) I find myself comparing my reactions to hers and find that I come up way short.... It is in these moments that I can see the exchange of what is unique, the dream, to being the acceptable. The exchange of my uniqueness for wanting to fit in and be accepted, Its not her that forces this, it is my perception of my short comings compared to her. My interpretation of what is being said to me.... But I have to remind myself that I have some five minute responses where she has five hours shake offs. I may not see them all but I have strengths. She has unconditional love but I have unconditional compassion. She is strong in serving, I am strong in encouraging. This is all part of the being unique.... But it is the competition that snatches the best for the acceptable. And honestly keeps me from being my unique self so become what is acceptable rather than the unique....
This day greets me with much on my heart and mind.... longing for the days of the old record player with the fairytales playing but trying to allow the new stories that are meant to be written and walked out today in my IPOD world..... trying to wait for the best, HIS best in all areas.... asking HIM to help me keep my eyes on HIM and being reminded that HIS best for me is as unique to me as I am to this world.... and worth the wait..... And that it is I that make the exchange, not HIM asking me to do so....
Comments
Post a Comment