Captain Hook Versus Peter Pan and Tinker Bell!

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Captain Hook Versus Peter Pan and Tinker Bell!

Here are my observations about us people so far.  We start out one way and end up another only to be compelled to seek out and go back to where we started.  Our change isn’t just crows feet and gray hair, unless you color it, no one really knows how much gray you have, not even ourselves but our thoughts and ways about life change.  Youth seems to bring a natural humility and innocence to it but then the worries of the world come along and we become anxious and “try” to be self-sufficient.  When Jesus attempts to teach us about being child-like He is trying to bring us to a place of not worrying and attaining the humility and trust of a child.  The only difference is that we have much more to worry about and therefore we have tons more to give up and trust God for. Our faith is essential to God and He will do anything to help us enter into His “eternal riches and glory.”  For the sake of this metaphor though we’ll call it “Never, Never Land.”   This seems to be the Dichotomy of the spiritual freedom that some of us have tasted, some have never known and the really mature spiritual ones have learned to walk and stay in the place of child-like humility.  There is an amazing rest here for the ones who are so tired and worn out with all their own self-sufficiency and striving.  It seems to be harder for the ones like Peter, who had been there but then got caught up in fear and doubt and the worries of the world.  Why is it always Peter?!!!

In the movie, Hook, where Peter Pan returns, reminds us of the part of the change that we want and should try to resist.  “I’m never growing up!” says Peter Pan.  The catch 22 is that getting older is inevitable as we have more to worry about and the more we are pushed passed our own limitations the more we have to give up and trust a so called good God for. This is not an easy feat as we can see in the metaphorical movie script.  It’s hard to imagine some people who can handle so much on their own.  For some of us it doesn’t take much stress to force us to our knees and call out for help but for others it seems that they can spend all their lives in a type of hell/pride and self-sufficiency just like Captain Hook!  This place is exhausting for some of us to live their too terribly long and at some point we break down and finally come to the end of our own resources and cry out for help like a child or let’s say we become like Peter Pan again. This is a sign of true humility and strength versus pride and self-sufficiency, not to be confused with being a victim, which is just more self-sufficiency trying to disguise its self in a false humility.  This seems to be a layer-by-layer process opposed to a onetime deal or experience with God. Tinker-Bell is the Spiritual metaphor that can lead us to freedom.  Obviously this blog is not intended to make us believers of fairies but maybe they do exist when we’re on our summer hikes, giggling in the trees?  

 Anyway the story about Peter Pan is a great lesson and reminder for us to try and believe.  Believe what?  The story never really conveys the “What” but yet in the movie, Captain Hook The Return Of Peter Pan, reveals what ends up motivating Peter is the fear of losing his children.  This seems to do it every time.  The motivation of actually losing what we love most, seems to be the only thing that can move us into this place of spiritual freedom.  It may be adventurous to say that Peter starts out with the love for his kids and then ends up loving himself better as he finds his inner child again.  Some of us may need to begin at believing that love even exists and that we ourselves are greatly loved.  The stress, danger, wars and evil in our world do not seem to help us trust God with this but that’s where Tinker Bell sprinkles her magic fairy dust because in the end we are not really in charge of anything, even our spiritual journey itself needs to be given up and surrendered to God.  Great movie to re-watch this Christmas Season!  Have a very Merry Christmas!      

Dialogue with God. by Laurie Jackson.

Dialogue with God.

(Maybe I’m 10 yrs old)

Can you believe me Laurie?

Uhmm, maybe?  Can you help me?

Absolutely!  Can you trust me?

I’ll try to?

Smile from God.

I see you kinda, and maybe trust you a little.

(Years go by)

(Teens to 20ish)

Lord are you there, really?

Yes always.

Why the pain?

Silence from God.

Are you real?

Can you believe me?

Yes, will you help me believe you?

Yes always!

(More years pass 20’s…1…2,..3 etc.. )

Lord I need to know if you are really real?

I am!

How do I know for sure?

Keep asking.

Ok.

(A few more years go by)

No more alcohol for joy and peace I know you are the better source for this!

Yes I am.

I quit…. Where are you?!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m here with you.

Where is joy and peace?!

In me.

How do I get it?

Silence from God….

(A yr or so later..)

Why am I so depressed, discontent and dead inside?

Can you trust me?

Yes, I will.  Will you please give me relief and some joy? I haven’t been drinking I’ve been waiting for you!!!!!!!?

Yes!  Here is a hunger for my truth… read on… I’ll reveal to you my love in Jesus’ life.

Oh my goodness!  I love this.  The bible never was this exciting to me ever!

I’m giving you revelation!

Thank you… so I can’t give myself the revelation?

Hell to the “know”… revelation comes only from me.

You wanted this and your heart was receptive to the true gospel.

Thank you Lord so much for Jesus…. I love Jesus!

(A few more yrs go by..28, 29… etc….)

Where are you Lord, I’m still struggling so much but I know you are good!

Can you trust me more?

Yes… with what?

Will you do something that makes you scared?

Yes!  No wait. That!????? No way… ok…scared.. you’ll help me I know.

(One day goes by)

I can’t do this I need to pass it off!!!!… frantic phone calls… a word aptly spoken from a true sister in Christ….

(I was asked to lead worship for a small group and this freaked me out… insecurity galore!  Very afraid! She said something that challenged my inner spirit “you can’t lead where you are not going.”  This spoke volumes to me and basically said to me that if I would authentically worship God myself as I led with the music that I chose to use for leading the worship sets, then God would give me the ability and strength, little did I know I would find great Joy in His spirit and find a taste of freedom that I’d never known existed.  This went on for over a decade and God taught me much about surrendering to him.  He never forced me, only asked me.)

(around 33 ish… etc… )

Lord, I’m still so restless.  I haven’t touched, needed or wanted alcohol and have only sought you for Joy and peace but I still feel so empty and often scared.  I’m tired.. So tired of being scared.

(A book and word aptly spoken, ”Practicing the Presence of God”)

I began seeking His presence and truth with all my heart.

March 3^rd 3:00 in the morning 2002… He touched me with His love it is to this day the most amazing experience I’ve ever had in God!  It’s indescribable other than that I felt his love for me and loved others in a divine way. I continued to seek his touch for years and learned that I must seek His face now and not his hand if I wanted to go further with Him.)

Lord!  Please I need your touch again!  I’ve been ruined by your presence I can’t enjoy normal living. I need your manifest presence again please please please!

Silence…

(A couple of years later)

Lord?

Seek my face not my hand.

Ok… show me how..?

(More and more revelation from glory to glory and even some manifestations but never as intense as march 3^rd.)

I was becoming familiar with God now and our dialogue changed.

Isn’t that funny Lord?

I hear Him laughing… in the spirit.. can’t explain it.

I just love her Lord.

He speaks insights about her and we enjoy her together.

Help me love this person Lord.

He gives me insights and opportunities to love.

Thank you so much Lord.. I’m so blessed to love and serve her and you.

(A few years of this..My family, friend’s, neighbors, prisoner’s and amazing love!)

The dialogue is less wordy and more feel.

Seeking

Finding

From Glory to Glory

I love to know you Lord.  How lovely is your dwelling place help me to know you more and more.  You are the treasure that I seek.  I trust you with this journey with all the pain and pure delight together.

Can you trust me Laurie?

Yes!  Will you help me?

Absolutely. You know I will!

I know

We both smile at each other.

Three years ago, around 41-ish, He asked me to trust him with something very precious to me, I barely said yes…. I was confused for three years… I learned a lot about myself and Him.  He revealed deep doubts and replaced them with trust.  I would have not said yes had I’d known the loneliness and emptiness that I’d face all over again. The storm has subsided and love and joy seem to be more constant and less like a roller coaster now.

What do you think about that storm Laurie?

I think you protected my loved ones and asked me to give up a cherished friendship.

It will be whole one day.

Yes, I trust you for this Lord.

We both smile! 

Thinking For Your Self. by Laurie Jackson

Thinking For Your self!

My mother always told me that I didn’t follow the crowd and that I would just do what I wanted, which was sometimes with the crowd but often times not!

As a kid I always liked everyone for the most part.  In high school and in junior high I wasn’t oblivious of the clicks but I constantly countered the pressure to be in one of them.  It was a natural instinct in me.  I later married a “black man” and depending on which side of this country you lived on this was “against the grain” so to speak.  I had “home-births” and decided to “home-school” as well as be a “stay at home” mom!  Being a Christian and follower of Jesus has been my own decision and not based on churchy people, parents or friends.  In fact many years ago I was ready to give up the whole Jesus thing, which made me seek out many answers to my deep- hearted questions in life.  I know better now as to why I believe the way I do and that is good for me.  

The interesting thing that happens when you make choices based on your own “thinkage” is that you don’t feel the need to argue, persuade or force someone to feel, think or choose like yourself.  You lose the need to convince another as a means to feel more secure about your own decision because you’ve already made it in a healthy and stable way.   This has brought much freedom in my life.  Lots of so called, non-conformity in my life choices and I won’t even get into political by- partisan issues!  Sheesh!   Each time I was met with disdain or opposition and differences of opinion I usually listened and thought through the arguments.  One question to ask your self in these situations is, “do I want to be like this person that I’m following?”  Truly I look back and this is what I definitely did and still practice doing today.  Typically I come back to my original decision but being open-minded has convinced me to do the opposite as well.  At least I knew that I wasn’t setting out to make a decision simply based on trying to be a “non conformist” which by the way, I rejected that click as well.  At the end of the day I am glad about my decision making process and it comes down to thinking for yourself and not allowing persuasion to move you with dysfunction.

             Recently I’ve looked into On-line schools and after thinking it through and researching much.  I’ve come to my conclusion.  There is a stigma to all of the things I’ve mentioned above and there is one to on-line schools as well that I’m willing to deal with.  This goes on and on depending to whom you are talking to.  This school that school, Christian or home-school, working mom, stay at home mom, rich, poor, black or white.  Seriously we will be tossed to and fro if we don’t know why we think the way we do.  This doesn’t always mean you think you are right but rather you made a decision in the right way for the right reasons.  This isn’t a quick and easy route!  The quick and easy route is to follow the masses.  The wise and stable way to make decisions is laborious and time consuming.  Most people will not take the time to even think anymore.  I see this so much in our health care system.  Do what the doctor says because they must know best?  Not a good way to process.  I’ve learned that to trust God and seek his wisdom with my decisions, to have a stabilizing affect.  James 1:6 “But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.”  This has proven to bring much peace and stability in my life.  

               I’ve seen myself and others be tossed back and forth like a piece of garbage in a windstorm by the media, advertising and even their own friends and family.  This political season is bringing so much of this type of wind, in fact, it’s a storm and no one seems to be going inside to just think alone.  If you try thinking for yourself, you’ll have to face opposition, disdain, prejudice and more.  This is the truth but it does set you free from the storm.