When I was a child, I once had a
nightmare which sent me sleepwalking…all the way outside. That’s right, even
though I had no memory of doing so, I got up in the middle of the night, put on
my coat, mittens and boots (Minnesota winter, mind you), opened my front door
and walked down to the barn. From there, while still in my dream state, I
hollered for my mother, convinced I was completely alone, in the middle of
nowhere. Eventually, my mother came outside, wondering (and yelling back) what
all of the fuss was about. That finally woke me up to enthusiastically respond
to her voice. At last, at long last, I was reunited with my familiar
surroundings. I was no longer hopelessly lost.
Middle of nowhere. Anybody out there
feel that’s where they are?
When we’re kids, we often play the
game, Marco Polo. It’s basically a game of tag, with the “it” person” left to
wander, without their sight, seeking the other game players. Tag, you’re it;
that’s the objective. It’s often played in swimming pools. And originally, the
game started from the chronicles of Mr. Marco Polo, himself:
“And I was swept down by the mighty torrent. I was snagged by a fallen tree
a ways downstream. My father and uncle could not see me, as the morning fog had
not yet lifted, and I could not see my hand when directly in front of my face.
Then I heard a faint whistle in the wind, ‘Marco! Marco!’ I heard my father
crying. I responded with the only thing I could think of, ‘Polo!’ I shouted. He
then walked the bank of the river and found the tree I had been snagged on,
climbing out to save me." - Marco Polo, from, “The travels of Marco Polo, Volume 1.”
So, it also was concerning my bad
nightmare. I was shrieking Marco Polo for a rescue from my lost condition.
And how many of us play Marco Polo
with God? I suppose that game goes all the way back to “in the beginning” kind
of stuff. Genesis 3:8-9 tells us about a hide and seek game involving
Adam, Eve and God. The only problem was Adam and Eve didn’t want to be found.
“And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden
in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence
of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called…‘Where art thou?’”
It gets worse from there, as, in
Genesis 3:10-13 a blame game replaces the hide and seek.
And, after distributing some consequences (Genesis 3:14-19),
God kicks them out of Paradise (Genesis 3:23-24). Wonderful.
Marco?
Eviction.
And we’ve heard about the lost sheep
parable…
“Suppose one of you has
a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the
open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds
it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home.
Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I
have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same
way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than
over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”
Luke 15:4-7
That’s
a better end than the Eden eviction, I suppose. But still, when it comes to
answers for our lives, what about you and I? Are we playing a game of Marco Polo with God?
Life, inevitably, causes each of us to
go off course, to get lost…
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to
his own way...”
Isaiah 53:6
Again
with the sheep? Great. It’s not looking too bright for us, is it? Are we
destined then to only be lost and hollering “Marco,” while getting no answer of
“Polo” from God? Is it hopeless?
After all, scripture tells us we don’t know what we’re doing…
“…the way of man is not in himself: it is not
in man that walketh to direct his steps.”
Jeremiah 10:23
More great news. So, are we left to fend for ourselves? No. God’s
faithful enough to remind us of His guidance:
“I will instruct you
and teach you in the way you should go: I will guide you with My eye.”
Psalm 32:8
What if, however, our experience doesn’t show evidence of that? Maybe
we need to ask ourselves, “who’s saying ‘Marco’ and who’s saying ‘Polo?’” Maybe
God’s waiting on us.
“The LORD hath appeared of old unto me,
saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with
lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”
Jeremiah
31:3
Feeling drawn? If you’re searching for answers to your life, then, yes,
I’d say you’re feeling drawn by God. God’s asking you, “Marco?”
“Also I heard the voice of the
Lord, saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’...’”
Isaiah 6:8
What’s your response?
“...Here am I;
send me.’”
Isaiah 6:8
Is that it? Or is it more like “my way?” instead of ‘Polo?”
We like our own way, don’t we? But scripture lays out the whole issue
when Jesus taught us to pray…
“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
Matthew 6:10
Somehow, we don’t jump up and down with Marco Polo enthusiasm about
that concept. We tend to often want our will done instead of God’s.
Remember…
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to
his own way...”
Isaiah 53:6
Great. Again with the sheep! How’s a sheep supposed to play Marco Polo
with God in the first place?
Answer? Perhaps by letting the shepherd be the shepherd? The 23rd
Psalm says it best. Check it out:
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me
lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though
I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.”
It’s God’s response to our lost state, our stress, our confusion. Will
we let the Lord be our shepherd or not?
What do you say? Marco? Or Polo?
Copyright © 2016 by Sheryle Cruse
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