"Don't let me become an elephant"

I am in love with the new Tenth Avenue North single, "Losing."  If you haven't heard it yet, I highly recommend checking it out.

This part particularly sticks out to me: 

"Why do we think that hate's gonna change their heart?
We're up in arms over wars that don't need to be fought
But pride won't let us lay our weapons on the ground
We build our bridges up, but just to burn them down
We think pain is owed apologies and then it'll stop
But truth be told it doesn't matter if they're sorry or not
Freedom comes when we surrender to the soundOf Mercy and Your Grace, Father, send Your angels down (singin')

Oh, Father, won't you forgive them?
They don't know what they've been doing (oh, no)
Oh, Father, give me grace to forgive them
Cause I feel like the one losing
I feel like I've been losing"

(Emphasis mine)

After my blog post the other day, I was thinking about what we, as the church, are doing.  We are called to be the body of Christ and to build the kingdom of God.  But I feel like instead of building the kingdom of God, many people are building walls, whether intentional or not. Now here's where you have to understand that my brain sometimes follows very random pathways.  Because as I thought about walls, I thought about the Veggie Tales song from the story of Joshua and the walls of Jericho.  I used to sing the song to my campers all the time when we were walking places; it goes "Keep walking, but you won't knock down our wall. Keep walking, but it isn't gonna fall.  It's plain to see your brains are very small so keep walking, but you won't knock down our wall."

And then I started thinking, I wonder what Joshua and the Israelites were thinking as they walked.  I probably would have been thinking something like, "This is ridiculous.  It's never going to work, so why are we wasting our time?"  Because honestly, that's how I often feel when I try to keep my words positive and loving, and when I try to encourage others to do the same, and even when I see others working towards the same goal.  It feels like it's getting nowhere.  And I can imagine the Israelites felt even more ridiculous each night they kept walking.  But you know, the walls of Jericho did fall because God was on their side.

And if I am doing the work God called me to, and I believe I am, then what I am doing is important.  No matter how much I feel like my words fall on deaf ears.  No matter how discouraging it gets.  No matter how badly I want to give up.  No matter how much I feel like I am the one losing. Because the thing is, when I'm feeling discouraged and frustrated and helpless, it's then that I want to give in and fight the way others fight.  But then I remember Jesus, who didn't give in to that temptation.  And I remember how many times God has forgiven me.  And I remember how many times Jesus called us to forgive others (seventy times seven).  I love the way Mike from Tenth Avenue North puts it in this video...

" God, don't let me become an elephant."  I love that. Let us all be more like God, and less like elephants.

"Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God." ~ Matthew 5:9

Amen.