"You are not crazy—you are a goddamn cheetah"
Cherry Hills Neighborhood—Woodie Hollow Park
WHERE: The wonderful little Woodie Hollow Park
Park Here or Park Here and follow the dirt path to the park and find the rock behind the equestrian ring facing the creek.
WHEN: Anytime
BLESSED SPOT: The rock behind the equestrian ring facing the creek at Woodie Hollow Park. Take a walk around the Little Dry Creek Trail as well!
Find this rock facing the creek behind the equestrian ring.
“My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving. ” Colossians 2:6-7
“You are not crazy, you are a goddamn cheetah”
That is a fabulous line in Glennon Doyles’ book Untamed. She references a cheetah named Chelsea that was born in captivity. Glennon imagines this big cat trying to do her best and be grateful for her zookeepers, the meals that just show up, and appreciating the only home she’s ever known. But, like a lot of us she longs for something more, for the wild, for freedom, for adventure, the ability to be who we were meant to be. Chelsea is not crazy for feeling this way—she is a “goddamn cheetah.” And you are not crazy! Right now, we can’t be more caged, more contained, more restrained, and more and more frustrated. I am trying to be grateful for all I have, all my blessings, but the honest truth is that sometimes the longing for more is unbearable.
This longing was unbearable before C19!
Nothing Wasted
My niece Cassidy sent me a link to a powerful sermon by Erwin McManus called “Nothing Wasted.” He spoke about times in life that look desolate, unused, full of mistakes, chock full of questioning, and seemingly devoid of meaning. Sometimes this desolation goes on for years. He underscored how these times in life are far from being wasted—that everything has meaning and significance in our lives. It just might take a minute for us to realize what was brewing during those seasons. Moses spent 40 years with sheep before he had his epic caper—but those 40 years taught him everything he needed to lead God’s people. Right now we are in a space that does not seem to have an ending in sight, or a horizon to catch up to, and the repetition of our days are eating away at the hope we had been storing up. But...
We were made for so much more than C19—but we were also made for this too!
“My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:6-7
Maybe everything we have been through, everything we have learned, every one we have met has prepared us for this day, for this time we are in. I was made for this as much as I was made for my future self, and my future adventures, and my future accomplishments, my future freedom, and hopefully my future capers. The here-and-now cannot be more important and we cannot be better equipped to really live right now. This time has been good for me to sift out the stuff I don’t need and focus on what is most important. To take inventory of what I will leave behind and what I will take with me going forward.
But, I am choosing to put the idea of “life being on pause” away for good.
I walked a circle around this rock you are sitting on, and with every loop around it I prayed that a hedge of protection would bind any hopelessness from entering and that you would be reminded of God’s promises to you. I have prayed that as you sit here the strength that God already implanted in you would be revealed and ignited. God promises that you are already equipped to handle your unique situation, your unique fears, your unique anger, your unique struggles, and all your longings. We can start living our lives today knowing that today matters as much as tomorrow will—and way more than yesterday did. We can decide to unleash that Cheetah in us now.
This timeframe could define us, or we could define this timeframe.
In Mark Batterson’s book Wild Goose Chase he references Mark 16:17 “…and signs will follow.” What he is telling us? I believe sometimes we have to make the first move, take that initial step, and boldly move forward knowing that God will honor our trust with “signs that follow.” Moses had to put a foot in the water before the Red Sea parted. We have to take the first step then God will provide the “signs” that we are on the right path. We are commanded to move forward and live. I believe this timeframe is of utmost importance—maybe the most important time we have ever experienced. This timeframe could define us, or we could define this timeframe.
And, remember God has promised us so much:
You are never alone—you are his!
“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you. I’ve called your name. You’re mine. When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you. When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down. When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end—Because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior.” —Isaiah 43:1-4You have access to the most powerful source of help
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." —Psalm 46:1God heals our hearts and bodies
He heals the heartbroken and bandages their wounds. He counts the stars and assigns each a name. Our Lord is great, with limitless strength; we’ll never comprehend what he knows and does. God puts the fallen on their feet again and pushes the wicked into the ditch. —Psalm 147:2-6Nothing is out of his control
“O Sovereign LORD! You have made the heavens and earth by Your great power. Nothing is too hard for You!” —Jeremiah 32:17God is by your side
“We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken.” —2 Corinthians 4:8-12God will renew your strength
"God doesn’t come and go. God lasts. He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts.—Isiah 40:31God will go ahead of you
"God is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t worry.” —Deuteronomy 31:8
Today you can start being that “goddamn cheetah” or whatever animal you were made to be. And the wonderful thing is we are not Chelsea—she will never see the wild again, she will never realize her full potential, she will never get to let her passions run free. But we can, our cage is temporary and we can do some good living right here and right now.
So, as we still shelter at home, let’s start really living today, let’s not wait for the world to be released to begin our lives again. As John 10:10 states “A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.”
No more “life is on pause!”
This spot has been prayed for:
Hopelessness to be bound from entering this sacred space
That you would decide to start living today—your future starts now
That you would be reminded of God’s promises to you
That your strength would be renewed and ignited
That you would feel equipped to handle your unique situation
Things you can do:
Write a comment, prayer, or request below
Decide that this is not a pause in life, it is life and time to live it fully
Listen to Erwin McManus’ sermon called “Nothing Wasted.”
Read the “Wild Goose Chase” by Mark Batterson
Remember God is bigger than C-19 and this too will pass!
My Favorite Meme of the Day
