As You Wish

God has asked His people to do some strange things throughout the course of history. He told Moses to use a stick to part the Red Sea; He asked a man with leprosy to bathe in the Jordan river; He asked Abraham to take his only son up in the mountains and sacrifice him….He even asked His only Son to die on a cross. A logical human being would consider all these requests and naturally ask the question “why”?

Even odder than the requests is God’s answer to the question of why He asked them of His children. All these requests were made because He loves us.  One of my favorite movies is “The Princess Bride.” Not only is the comedy timeless, but it tells a great love story. Its message is clear from the first scene where the heroine, Princess Buttercup, asks a farm boy to do all manner of degrading jobs. Every time she asks, he responds without hesitation, “as you wish.”  As time goes on, Buttercup gradually comes to realize that his simple response means “I love you.” The love story of the princess and her farm boy actually symbolizes the love story we have with our Lord.

God can ask anything He wants of us, and we should take on the role of the farm boy. Unlike Buttercup, God has reasons for His seemingly absurd requests, but at the root of them, He just longs for us to love Him in return for the great love He has for us. About a week ago, God asked me to take a huge leap of faith and do many things I really did not want to do. I had to go back to California. While my family time there was much needed, California is a difficult place to live, and in fact, I became very ill to the point of almost dying. Going back to that state after spending time in South Carolina with my parents stirred a fear deep inside me that caused me to put off the call to return as long as possible. Finally I could no longer delay–I had left my car there and needed it back. In addition to the dread of facing California, I would have to undertake driving across the country again on my own. The enemy filled my mind with every prospect of danger on the road. I am not a mechanic; if something went wrong with my car, I would be in trouble.

Nevertheless, I kept returning to the love story I have with my Lord, and I knew I needed to say, “as you wish.” Every time I utter these words, peace immediately floods my soul; I know the Holy Spirit will take control and the enemy will lose his power. Instead of this journey being a fear-filled experience it became an epic journey with the Lord. His requests may seem hard and illogical to me, but I have faith they are perfect for the purpose of my life because He loves me.

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Originally published at Kitty in the City