Courage

Living in Kansas, I am all too familiar with the movie, Wizard of Oz. I am pretty sure I have seen it once a year since I was born and maybe a couple of times in between.

Welcome to my short and sweet rundown of the events that took place in this fabulous classic.

Dorothy hits her head during a tornado...and wakes up in the land of Oz. Her house lands on a wicked witch. Dorothy wants to go home so the Good Witch gives her instructions on how to go about doing that. But the witch that she lands on has a sister who is none too happy about Dorothy's arrival. Along the way, Dorothy meets three friends.

1. The Scarecrow...who has no brain. (Oh how I can relate to that one somedays)
2. The Tin Man...who has no heart. (I would assume in my road blocking days, I would appear to look a little tin man~ish myself)
3. The Cowardly Lion...who has no nerve. (This one is all too familiar to me)

As she meets these friends, she tells them that she has been promised to meet the Wizard of Oz. She is asking him to help her get home...and she'll ask him...THE GREAT WIZARD OF OZ...to grant her friends their requests as well.

For anyone who hasn't seen the movie...first of all, I am sorry. It is a classic. Please go find it On Demand or rent it from your local Blockbuster or RedBox. I will not be spoiling the ending for you...but I did want to talk to you about the wants of Dorothy's friends. Mainly the Lion.

We must have all of these things to have a relationship with God. We must have a brain to know enough to come to him. We must have a heart to love him fully. We must have the courage to stand up for our faith and to share Him with others. And we must have the desire to go Home.

Courage is something that I struggle with sometimes. My lack thereof turns into doubt and then worry. I know enough through this walk with Christ to know that He is with me always. But there is always that little ache in my stomach that says...what will they think of you? What if they think you are crazy? What if they come at you with anger and distrust?

As you all know so well at this point, I've been following the life story of Sicily Zeka. Her services in Oklahoma were yesterday and they are having her burial today in Wellington, KS. Wellington is about 20 miles south of our hometown. After the burial, the Zeka family is having a celebration of Sicily's life. I am going with my friend Bonnie to show my respects and to take some flowers to Sicily's Momma...and I am scared. I am nervous that I'll be out of place. I am nervous that I won't have the words if given the opportunity to visit with Sicily's family. But I am taking that risk. Why? Well, because I feel God pushing me to do so. He wants us to share our love with others. This kind of love that says...I am here for you because I have God in my heart. The kind of love that says...You don't know me...but I know God and I trust Him. The kind of love that says...I am here to let you know I am and will be lifting you up in the following days...and that your daughter's story impacted my life in a way I cannot explain. This conversation is all too familiar. I had it just two years ago when I met Kyrie's Mom and Dad. And as God would have it...they are now my friends.

Courage. Please pray for courage. And you know what? Don't pray for mine, but pray for Kerry Zeka's. Her battle is WAY bigger than mine right now and I believe that God put me right here, right now, to ask for your prayers in helping this family.

As I said yesterday, this week has been simply overwhelming. I am looking forward to tomorrow when I can go to church and hear God's word through Pastor Rick. Bring it PR! I am looking forward to putting what I have learned through Him to the test. Tomorrow I will be posting after church so that I can share a bit of what Pastor Rick is bringing into our lives on this Palm Sunday. Have a blessed day today and be Courageous in Him.

Love you all!
Amy