Ch.10 - Sound the Alarm

Woah! I just about fell down those five rungs to the cold hard earth below. I still don't have hands with which to climb. These feet, they're only good for walking, you know.

These here toes may look a bit monkey-like, but God did not intend for them to climb.

Here let me help you. Let me set you high up on my shoulder. Just dig your heels in here, but please, please, not too deep. I'll do my part, holding you tightly in place with my left arm, just like this. I promise not to drop you, although climbing with one arm does require a special type of skill.

One rung, two rung, three rungs, four, and one more; yep, that makes five.

Okay. Steady now. Down you go.

Plop! Pough! Dust and dirt. Should have brought a broom with us. Just have to brush you off until by some miracle those hands grow.

Too soon?

All right. I get it. I'll refrain from cracking jokes. Well, that's if I can. It should be noted, such a refrain is a miracle in and of itself.

All right. It's quite okay. Let's just continue to get our mosey on. Now that we're back here below, what is it we are looking for? Do you know?

Nope. I haven't a clue, Discipline. I didn't know what I was looking for the last time, that is until God led me straight to you.

But wait a minute, why are you asking me? You're supposed to be the guide, not me.

Yes, tis true. I am your guide. But remember, my purpose is your safety; to remind you to think before acting; to pause before walking; to listen before speaking. How you respond to my guidance, that's completely up to you.

And if you choose to misstep or give a wrong response in action; if you speak words hastily reacting, it's my job to correct you, setting you back on the right course. My hope is that you'll always choose the path of least resistance, the one marked "wisdom". But you needn't worry, we'll be together always now and forever.

I get it, I get it. I'll listen, walk in wisdom, praying I stay forever on your good side.

(Walking silently, side-by-side.)

Okay. Stop. I'm getting a little dizzy. We've walked in circles on this cold hard floor six, seven, eight times now, maybe more. I'm sure it's more. I don't ever remember walking in circle after circle that many times before.

My pride wouldn't let me admit until this dizziness ensued that I am quite honestly confused. If you, Sir Discipline, aren't guiding me to whatever it is that needs my attention next, then how in the world am I going to know what it is when I find it?

I understand the floodlight, the path, and I get now that you serve as my safety companion, but we returned here to this earthen cellar to find something more.

Something more. Hmmm. Those two words, did you feel that, Discipline. Something and more, when spoken together, they chime like a church bell. They have a nice ring.

Something more? What is the something? What is the more? It's you for which I'm searching, it's you I don't know where to find.

Something more, where are you? Are you off playing with miracles, signs and wonders? You must be just like them, you seem to evade me, too.

Wait a minute. What is that? There's something over there in the corner. Do you see it just a flickering. It seems oddly familiar yet somehow brand new.

Floodlight, you're here, never leaving me. I quite get it. I do understand. As always, despite how you are a light for my night, your brightness exceeds the light in my day; your beacon, it displays my every path, and your rays warm my heart, my life, in each and every way.

Yet, it's true, I fail time and again to employ you. It seems I'd rather walk in circles, in dizziness, feeling my way through darkness than simply ask you to light up anything, let alone provide answers to my questioning.

Maybe I'm struggling a bit with a reoccurring fear of what will be expected and required of me. Nonetheless, I must ask it what is expected? What is required? What do you want from me?

I must keep going. I have to proceed. I cannot stay the way I was before climbing down that ladder, continuously walking this cold earthen floor. It's futile, really, to have to keep coming back here just to dig up things that I never learned or have forgotten somewhere along life's way.

But something happens when above and below somehow come to coincide. It has within it a revelation similar to when heaven and earth collide.

Oh my. What did I just say? Heaven and earth collide. Something more. Maybe the very words I find myself speaking is the way in which God's now leading me, so that I can find just what it is that I'm now looking for.

But how does one find something more?

How does one know let alone come to be in the place where heaven and earth collide?

Ugh, too many questions. Hurts my head a bit.

Floodlight?

Discipline?

Those two phrases; just now I felt another shifting. And that flicker I saw just right over there, not to sound an alarm or anything, but…

….FIRE! Sound the alarm! Fire!

Wait, why is it not consuming? Why is it not burning this whole place inside?

And wait just a minute more. Things don't look the same as they did just before. There's still the dirt, the dust, but the cracks, the crevices, they are no more. The shifting that we felt as, Discipline, your legs gave way to feet, I'm convinced now of it, that was the very foundation under us realigning, leveling.

Hold up. Wait a minute. What is that over there? You see that hieroglyphic image?

Yes, I do. I see it. The picture, though, it's faded a bit. I can't quite make it out. What is it supposed to be? We need to move up, get closer.

Let me see.

Hmm. It looks like it's missing lines. Did you bring any pencils?

(Shakes head)

Markers?

(Shakes head again)

Crayons?

Nope, how could I when you were in my hands to carry?

Well, it looks like it's time for another lesson. Come on over, closer to the image. Open up your Bible, grab a pen, turn to Ephesians 6 verses 10-18. You know that passage; the one that describes the pieces of the armor you should be wearing?

(Nods)

Well, if you know, then please, do tell.

Okay. There's the helmet of salvation. I wear it each and every day. The breastplate of righteousness…um. I wear it off and on, it is sort of big, stands out a bit.

Well, if I were to be completely honest, for so long it just seemed to get in the way, so I seldom put it on.

Well, that explains it and helps me understand your life a little more. The breastplate of righteousness, tell me, what part of you do you think it covers?

Ah, yeah, I get it; righteousness protects your heart. I'll be sure to wear it from now on.

The belt of truth, at first it seemed a lot to cinch that thing up around my waist each and every day. I thought it was just something to top off the outfit, dress things up a bit. The older I get the more I understand the importance of the belt of truth keeping your pants from falling down. No one likes exposure of any kind.

As for those shoes, the gospel of peace, my footing is steadied when those are the shoes I put on. And I guess it might go without saying, but nonetheless, I did art my shoes of peace up just a little.

Hmm. What's left? There are no other clothes from the armor in which I must dress. What's left are two accessories, the shield of faith and a sword.

So now that I'm fully dressed, shield up, sword in my hand, let's walk on over toward the flickering, the fire in the corner over there.

(Quietness now fills the space.)

Discipline? Where are you? Did I lose you again?

(Looking down.)

Discipline? What are you doing on the ground? Did you trip? Are you okay? Answer me, please.

No, I'm fine. I'm good. I'm better than fine and good. As you yelled fire a second ago, the flames seemed to grow, and I just kept feeling hotter and hotter. And then, as you were dressed in your armor there standing, you picked up your shield in faith and wielded God's Word, the sword; it wasn't but mere seconds or moments until I lost all strength to stand.

I stirred, awakened only at your questioning. But look at me now. Count them -- one foot, two foot, and three, that's a hand!

What?????? I spotted the flicker, the flame, yelled out "fire", grabbed the shield, faith, God's Word, my sword; that's when your hand grew?

Well, bring your feet, your hand, pick up a sword for yourself, let's make our way to the fire. Just one step and then a couple more. There. Isn't it beautiful? It's not the reds, the oranges, or the yellows we're used to, this fire is all shades of blue.

Let's stand here for just a moment. I need to take it all in.

Breathe in, breathe out. Release.