We have an adversary who lives to magnify our insecurities; condemn our past failures and give evidence of all that we are not. When Goliath circumstances say that we are too weak or too slow…我们每个人的生命当中都会经历一些要逆风飞翔的黑暗时光,它们时时刻刻不遗余力的放大我们心里的不安,控诉我们过去的失败,以及把各种各样的脏水都泼到我们身上。它们就像不可逾越的歌利亚巨人在嘲笑我们的软弱和迟缓...
Instead of rushing forward into a battle of self-defense, God invites us to step back. Back into our Secret Place that He created in us – where the Holy Spirit is our Comforter and Jesus is our Advocate. The place where we are always loved. Always accepted in the Beloved. Always safe. 在那样的时刻,与其任我们急不可耐的投入到自我反击的战斗中,神反而会邀请我们退后一步。退到他将我们的筋骨联接的暗处,那里圣灵是我们的安慰者,而主耶稣是我们的辩护者。在那里我们被爱包围簇拥着,被无条件的接纳着,我们是无比安全的。
From that internal fortress of rest and relationship, we listen for the sound of break through. We listen for the laughter. 只有藏身在神在我们内心建起的供我们灵魂休憩的堡垒里,我们才得以听见胜利突围的号角,听到哀哭渐渐变为欢笑。
It is often at the moment when circumstances seem dire or our lack appears so great, that a smile begins on Jesus’ face. As it broadens, His eyes grow brighter and then you realize… “He’s going to laugh.” It is a sound like none other – that deep, sweet laughter of assurance…a sound that says, “I’m here. I’m bigger than this. And I’m with you.”也就在那些四面楚歌缺乏巨大的时刻,耶稣的嘴角开始上扬。笑容在他脸上像涟漪一样慢慢荡漾开来,他炯炯有神的眼睛,让你渐渐意识到,他要笑出声来了。那是这个世界上独一无二的笑音,深邃,甜美而抚慰人心。那个笑声在说,孩子,我在这里,我大过你正在经历的一切,我此刻就在你的身边陪伴着你。
The One who prepares tables in the presence of our enemies, does not fear what we do. Jesus only sees you in the fullness of the beautiful creation He envisioned before you were ever born. He knows the battles that surround your life and He has provided Himself to be with you… always…even to the end of the age. But often, He is with us quite differently than we imagined He would be. 那个在我们的敌人面前为我们摆设筵席的人,不惧我们任何出格的举动。他只看到你未降生到这个世界以前就已经被他照着自己形象所造的全备的美好。他知道你所正在打的所有恶仗,并且把自己的生命化作你手中的武器来陪伴你,直到世界的末了。实际上,他与我们同在的方式与我们的想象时常有出入。
God is so wonderfully confident in who He is in us, that kindness and joy are His responses at the thought it’s too much or too big or too hard or it’s been too long. Joy strengthens. It neutralizes anxiety and care – and allows us to hear Him when we need to hear Him most. 神对住在我们里面的自己是充满信心的,他的良善和喜乐是应对所有“我受够了”“这超出我的能力了”“这太难了”或是“我实在等不下去了”的状况的良方。喜乐是有威力的。它平息了焦躁和忧虑,使得我们可以在它们咆哮的时候依然可以听见神的声音,我们最应该听见的声音。
Laughter is not logical. Joy does not bubble up because all of our problems have obvious answers. Its source is not reasonable – but it is powerful.
And as the laughter rises, tears of gratitude usually follow….thankful for this place of safety and peace. 不合逻辑的是,在基督里,笑不是人生风调雨顺的特定产物。喜乐并不是在面临的问题有了明确的答案后才能涌起,恰恰相反,在基督里喜乐可以是没来由的。但它绝对是威力四射的。当一个人强大到足以笑对四面楚歌后,随之而来的,也往往是对赐予他无穷力量的那个灵魂的安息之地的由衷感激和热泪纵横。
I do not write this lightly. I have been kindly given this counsel when the loss was staggering and yet, it was essential that I stay in the fight. There was the freedom for tears. There always is. But it was this truth that saved me from despair. It allowed me to receive His comfort… and not be offended when the laughter came. 我并非刻意轻描淡写人生的那些困境。我在这里所给的建议,是我自己在生命被各种失丧步步进逼的时候所收到的建议,它们是我得以坚持战斗下去的关键。我们当然有在黑暗当中流泪的自由,神一直都给我们这样的自由。但真正将我们从绝望的黑暗当中拯救出来的,是他带着生命的话语,它们帮助我领受从神而来的安慰和鼓励,并且不会把神在困境中对我们扬起的嘴角视作坐视不管和蓄意试探。
In that place where joy makes no sense, I’ve discovered that hurts are healed, strength returns, courage comes and the lens of limitation clears.Whether it’s taken months or minutes, if there’s a battle to be fought – then this is the place to fight it from. Though when ready to engage on God’s terms, the battleground that looked so intense, is often empty. The enemy has heard the sound that he fears most and knows that he has no weapon that is its equal. 而恰恰就是在最笑不起来的时候靠着神去笑对人生的过程当中,我慢慢看到伤痛被医治,力量得恢复,勇气回升以及所有的限制被扫除。 不论是花费数月或只需几分钟的时间,只要有征战的地方,这个态度都应当是我们死守的据点。虽然当我们满满参与到上帝制定的作战原则当中的时候,就会发现,看似狼烟四起的战场,其实敌人已经丢盔弃甲,溃不成军。因为他们已经听到他们最害怕听到的反击的声音,而他们深知自己不堪一击。