"But I found heaven as love swept low"
It is often my prayer in the morning because it reminds me of my path to and with Jesus. The words are humble and remind me of who I was when I met Him. The words deliver a powerful message to those who feel like they have climbed their ladder of life so high on their own to ever meet Jesus. For some of us, He meets us when we least expect it and don't feel like we deserve it. Climbing on our own always leads to a fall and it's not such a bad thing if you know His love sweeps low.
Honestly, falling this side of Heaven comes with a feeling of condemnation, guilt, and shame. No-one likes to fall or feel like a failure, but it's part of life. It reminds me of the false narrative we are teaching our kids before they leave our homes to go off to college. We say to them, a 4.0 GPA is just average, you can't afford to make a "B," you must study, memorize and regurgitate, and DON'T even think of failing because it's final and there is no value in it. Today, I see so many young adults afraid to take a risk and do something that might be out of their comfort zone. If they don't know how to do it 100% before they start they don't do it at all.
Fear has a funny way of whispering, "No, just stay comfortable & play it safe. You don't ever want to look like you don't know what you're doing." Living from fear slowly teaches us to build a neat and tidy box to live in so we can control our environment. We know how to do the things in our box, so we never feel the sting of failure.
I can say this because I lived it for many years. I thought I was a risk-taker and lived life to fullest, but when my neat little box blew up I learned something - Within the boundaries of the box, I felt alone and was climbing the ladder of my life in my own strength. I was tired and unchallenged and felt like I didn't need God because He didn't need or want me. As I look back, I can see the reason I thought this way about God was because I thought my GPA with him might have been a 1.0 at best.
Do you see how our false view of failure hands us the blueprints to build the prison box of comfort and safety? God sees failure way different than we see it. He sees opportunity and possibility in failure. It opens up the perspective that we don't know it all or need to know it all, and we are not alone, don't need to do it alone and understand that we can't do it alone.
All that being said, I was reminded this week as I was giving the invocation for our local government chamber meeting, that Jesus will ask the one who feels least worthy to represent Him. The fear of failure tempted me to ask, why me? There are so many others to pick from who represent you better.
I quickly saw the lines being drawn for the boxed living and remembered - there is no fear in failure and Jesus always picks people who are willing to share the story of redemption rather than one of perfection.
He wants us to know he loves us and it's ok to fall because when our knees hit the ground, His love sweeps low. We must remember, He traded Heaven to have us again.
TOUCH THE SKY - HILLSONG UNITED
What fortune lies beyond the stars
Those dazzling heights too vast to climb
I got so high to fall so far
But I found heaven as love swept low
Those dazzling heights too vast to climb
I got so high to fall so far
But I found heaven as love swept low
My heart beating, my soul breathing
I found my life when I laid it down
Upward falling, spirit soaring
I touch the sky when my knees hit the ground
I found my life when I laid it down
Upward falling, spirit soaring
I touch the sky when my knees hit the ground
What treasure waits within Your scars
The gift of freedom gold can't buy
I bought the world and sold my heart
You traded heaven to have me again
The gift of freedom gold can't buy
I bought the world and sold my heart
You traded heaven to have me again
My heart beating, my soul breathing
I found my life when I laid it down
Upward falling, spirit soaring
I touch the sky when my knees hit the ground
I found my life when I laid it down
Upward falling, spirit soaring
I touch the sky when my knees hit the ground
Find me here at Your feet again
Everything I am, reaching out, I surrender
Come sweep me up in Your love again
And my soul will dance
On the wings of forever
Everything I am, reaching out, I surrender
Come sweep me up in Your love again
And my soul will dance
On the wings of forever
Find me here at Your feet again
Everything I am, reaching out, I surrender
Come sweep me up in Your love again
And my soul will dance
On the wings of forever
Everything I am, reaching out, I surrender
Come sweep me up in Your love again
And my soul will dance
On the wings of forever
My heart beating, my soul breathing
I found my life when I laid it down
Upward falling, spirit soaring
I touch the sky when my knees hit the ground
I found my life when I laid it down
Upward falling, spirit soaring
I touch the sky when my knees hit the ground
My heart beating, my soul breathing
I found my life when I laid it down
Upward falling, spirit soaring
I touch the sky when my knees hit the ground
I found my life when I laid it down
Upward falling, spirit soaring
I touch the sky when my knees hit the ground
Find me here at Your feet again
Everything I am, reaching out I surrender
Come sweep me up in Your love again
And my soul will dance
On the wings of forever
Everything I am, reaching out I surrender
Come sweep me up in Your love again
And my soul will dance
On the wings of forever
Upward falling, spirit soaring
I touch the sky
When my knees hit the ground
I touch the sky
When my knees hit the ground
