Cotton Candy Clouds

Puppy dog kisses, baby giggles and a bright red-orange sunset with pink cotton candy clouds against a baby blue sky. What do they all have in common? For a moment, as you saw each of them in your imagination, you forgot about your day and you experienced a moment, a breath, a pause in your thoughts and felt happy, warm and peaceful. My point is that the stress of your day cannot coexist with what is good, noble or positive (Philippians 4:8). It’s kind of like oil and water, peanut butter and chocolate or love and fear (*ok, maybe not so much peanut butter and chocolate). But like oil and water, love and fear cannot coexist. Try it, go ahead. I’ll wait…

How did you do? Here’s the real test, which one won? Biologically we have been given a defense mechanism that is used to keep us alive when we are in danger. When we feel threatened it kicks in the “Fight or Flight” response. So, let me ask you a question, when was the last time you were threatened by a Kodiak Bear, a mountain lion or an advancing army? Then why do we experience so much fear? Because we haven’t learned the power of love and it starts in a place called “Abandon.” 

I have learned that Abandon has nothing to do with human decision, but has everything to do with Kingdom Demonstration. When the legion called “Unknown Future Outcome” first begins to advance in your life which fox hole do you dive into? The one called “Fear” or the one called “Intimacy”? I have been learning that when I choose to step into Intimacy with God He demonstrates His love by showing up in a very tangible way (Isaiah 41:10-13). I cannot help but Abandon myself into His arms as fear disappears and my heart begins to warm just like receiving puppy dog kisses, baby giggles and watching creation give thanks to God through a bright red-orange sunset with pink cotton candy clouds against a baby blue sky.