Re-parenting and Seal Nazis, Part II

(Continued from Part I, below)

As we reached the beach, I saw that the area was roped off with a single yellow nylon cord. A city ordinance sign served as one of the posts holding the cord. The sign said something like: “San Diego city ordinance designates this area as a beach open to the public. Please respect the natural wildlife of the area. This beach does not meet water quality safety standards.”

Seeing the sign, I saw that Gunter’s interpretation was correct, so I began to slowly and cautiously approach the seals. I ducked under the yellow nylon cord. As soon as I did so, I heard catcalls from up above saying, “Get away from the seals! Ma’am! Get away from the seals!” Having been forewarned, I ignored the harassment.

To see the seals up close with their cute little pups was a treat, but the annoying calls continued from above as I inched slowly toward them. Now the seals started looking at me, and started inching backward. I saw they would not let me move any closer. One seal entered the water, and I headed back toward Gunter. The other seals followed the first one, and I felt the disapproval of the onlookers as their observation opportunity swam away.

Gunter and I walked back up the stairs, and I confess, I was slightly embarrassed. No one really paid any attention to me, however; I wasn’t approached by an angry mob at all. We continued our stroll, and a few yards beyond the steps we saw a booth set up by the “Save Our Seals” group. We were cutting a wide swath around the booth, but the young woman who was selling t-shirts and stuffed seals there had her eye on me. “Ma’am! Ma’am! Could I talk to you?”

Reluctantly I approached the booth, and the young activist proceeded to lecture me. “Ma’am, did you hear me telling you to stay away from the seals?”

“Yes, but the sign says it’s a public beach.”

“I had to report you because you didn’t listen to me. Flushing seals is against the law.”

Gunter and the woman then entered into a debate about who has the right to the beach, and after a few exchanges, we walked on. We joked about how my husband would feel about having to come to San Diego to bail me out of jail for seal flushing. And how I would feel returning to Minnesota branded as an ignominious seal-flusher.

It wasn’t until I was back in Minnesota about a week later and I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t get back to sleep. That doesn’t happen often, but when it does, I find the Lord may want to “do business” with me. So I began praying about an issue that had come up for me in something I’d been reading. I knew I had shame issues to bring to the Lord. As soon as I started talking to Him about my shame, He turned the light on. That’s what the seal Nazi incident had been all about.

Jesus warned us that the enemy comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. Even for the believer, he attempts to steal our identity, kill our confidence, and thereby destroy our effectiveness for Kingdom work. The Bible is very clear about who I am in Christ. The sign is plainly posted in Colossians 2:13-14: “Having forgiven you all trespasses, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.”

We have complete freedom, but our shame holds us back. Our shame is nothing but a single yellow nylon cord, easily crossed, but we dare not do so. Why? Because as soon as we do, the catcalls from the enemy, the world’s most experienced “activist,” begin. “That’s not allowed! You can’t do that! You will be reported!” Predictably, we believe the empty threats of the enemy rather than the clear Word that has been posted for us. Crowds of people hold themselves back for every one who breaks through. And territory designated for the Kingdom remains unclaimed.

How good of the Father to guide me along my own personal field trip on the shore of the Pacific Ocean (“ocean of peace”) to teach me this lesson! My Father must really love me.

Five or Ten Cities?

"'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.'" (Luke 19:17)

For most of my Christian life, that verse didn't excite me. I knew that, as a believer, I will "rule and reign with Christ for a thousand years." But, frankly, the thought of sitting on some throne in some remote city in Africa or India for a thousand years didn't sound like too much fun to me.
About a year and a half ago, however, I was introduced to the concept of city reaching, and my whole view of the Millennial Kingdom changed. The idea that we as Christians today, not just in the Millennium, have the chance to transform the cities in which we live was new to me. I've always been involved with the stream of Christianity that puts tremendous focus on the local church. Growing our church seemed to be the goal, not transforming society by being salt and light "out there."

One of Arthur Burk's statements that has affected me the most is that sometimes our prayers aren't being answered because we are not praying big enough. Praying for our friends and family and church is good, but God wants us to have a larger vision. Arthur also helped me see Acts 17:26 - 27 in a new light. "From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us."

For the first time, I realized that "exact" means "exact." Did God put me in the exact spot in Dayton that He wanted me to live? And did He put our business in the exact location in Champlin where it is? Looking back on how we acquired our home and business properties, I can see that both were presented to us; we didn't actually search either of them out on our own. Timing and circumstances worked together to bring us to these exact spots. The question is, "Why?" Paul answers that, too: So that men would find God.

In other words, God has placed me in strategic locations in Dayton and Champlin so that I can point the people around me to Him. Suddenly, God gave me a heart to pray for these two communities to see them transformed by His power to come into the calling and fullness God means for them to have. As I was gaining this insight, God took me to Jesus' parable of the ten minas. Now when I read about the reward the faithful servant received, it jumped off the page! Wow! He got ten cities! And I had only been praying for two! I could see I needed to broaden my vision even more.

Then I realized that the cities God will probably give to us to rule over during the Millennium will not be cities that we don't know anything about. They will most likely be the same cities that we prayed for, worked for, loved and cared for in this life. Now, that excited me. And it gave me a goal beyond "retirement." If I want to get a head start on my job during the thousand-year reign, I should do everything I can in this life to bring my cities into alignment with God's plan now.

I made a list of "my" five cities:

• Dayton
• Champlin
• Anoka
• Osseo
• Maple Grove

Then I asked myself why I would want to shoot for second place! I added five more, to make up my ten target cities:

• Brooklyn Park
• Corcoran
• Hassan
• Rogers
• Coon Rapids

At this point I have no idea what strategies God will use to bring His transforming touch to these communities, nor what role I will play. For now, I am learning what I can about city reaching and meeting regularly for prayer with some women in my neighborhood. I'm asking God to release me, my family, and my business into our role in His plan for Dayton and Champlin. He has been working, that's for sure, and not necessarily in the ways I thought He would.

Like many Christian leaders today, I'm convinced that city reaching is what God wants to do today. And I want to be a partner in that. I agree with what Rich Marshall states in his book, God @ Work, Volume II: "If you're not involved in some form of initiative to transform cities or nations, you are missing the point of your calling and destiny in Christ."