A Prayer Doodle: Ideal and Status Quo

(This is a drawing of a man hanging on a thread of his ideals, trying to pull someone from the status quo.  Two other people in the status quo are disliking the act, while the rest are happy in their current situation.  This doodle is scanned from Mitzi's journal.)

Sometimes when I pray, God encourages me and/or teaches me through images.  This is one of them.

I had been quite down recently when I realized how the church has been different from what the Bible says it should be.  Whenever I read the Bible, how God's people should be on earth becomes clearer and clearer each day.  And as I voice it out, many times I just get shut out.  Like for example, I've shared with some church leaders how the focus must be moved from the technicals (church building, church car, equipments) to the fundamentals (missions, discipleship).. and guess what they've told me.  "Mitzi, you're being too idealistic."

I did not know what to do.  If I talk more, I might be labeled as a rebel or a mere ingredient for disunity.  If I remain silent, I don't know how long I can manage to keep the burden from exploding.

Then last night, I prayed to God about it.  I told God, I can do nothing to help His church because it's just tiring and depressing and utterly frustrating.  Then deep within me, I felt recharged and renewed.  I felt like God was telling me, "No Mitzi.. you're not causing disunity.  You're simply obeying me."

God made me to realize that it's better to aspire for the ideals -- as to what the Bible clearly teaches and be labeled as a rebel, than to remain in a meaningless, united status quo.

May all of us walk on this narrow road (which can sometimes feel like a string) and depend on God's love and mercy.

The world needs idealistic people. They keep the standards from falling. -David Jan Chan