Move along folks ...

It was watching the Wizard of Oz as a child that first grabbed my attention to the reality that life is more than it seems and certainly more than some want it to seem. I watched with interest as the 'wizard' said; "pay no attention to that man behind the curtain! The Great Oz has spoken!"

It's a good lesson at any age; there may be more than you see.

In marketing, some would believe that its not important to change people's minds about a product or idea but rather to change the truth about a product or idea. It works of course. By the way, for the discriminating thinker - yes, changing the truth is what most of us call a lie.

You've seen this in movies for example as a crowd gathers around some catastrophic mess on the sidewalk and authorities begin to rope off the area and say something like; move along folks, there's nothing to see here.'

Recently, I was approached by a gentlemen riding a bike who having successfully flagged me down in a parking lot, said he had just ran out of gas and would I help with a few bucks. Perhaps he hadn't thought this whole thing out properly.

The two images didn't match. The gas I get and the bike I get, but often folks don't carry bikes in their cars for gas emergencies - apparently the guy behind the curtain pulled a lever when he should have pushed a button.

But oh yes, carefully slowing the shutter speed of sight - there he is. Behind the carefully woven tapestry that has taken years to manufacture is someone who is desperate to appear larger than he is.

There's a lot of desperation associated with operating behind the curtain. Including the desperation to stop and the desperation to be known - truly known for who you really are.

I often say to the guests at Cherry Street; 'You can't talk yourself out of something you've behaved yourself into.'

Most people we encounter of course are wizards. Each one demanding in their own way for you to 'pay no attention to the man behind the curtain - the wizard has spoken!'

It's tiring you know. People are exhausted.

Even folks who are excited about their charade slip from time to time as you catch a glimpse of the who and the what. Quickly the cover up begins as they pull more levers and push more buttons to distract you from what or who you saw.

Moses struggled with this when he wore a veil to cover his face not so others wouldn't be blinded by his God-given glow, but rather so they couldn't see his glow was fading.

That's most of us though. Each one behind our own curtains pulling the levers and pushing the buttons that direct the image we project. It's our own way of saying; move along folks, there's nothing to see here.

But there is something to see - the question is, are we willing to see? More importantly have we taken the tedious steps necessary to ready ourselves to see?

From the day Jesus died on the cross to this very day, God is in the business of curtain ripping. He clearly determined on that day there no longer would be a separation between His great ability to heal the masses and the masses great need of Him.

And so Jesus came - the Great Curtain Ripper Himself.

This is why so many are in love with Jesus but don't like Him. We love the whole idea that He accepts us where we are but don't like Him because He threatens our carefully woven existence - our curtain.

We tell Him; 'move along Jesus, there's nothing to see here.'

Here's today's question; 'Are you ready for exposure?'

Your exposure:
You first. Allow the Great Curtain Ripper Jesus Christ to expose you. Ask Him to remove the carefully woven tapestry that disallows others to see you - the real you. The you Jesus loves. Acknowledge you were a button pushing, lever pulling wizard before you accepted Him and you've not lost your wizard ways. Ask Him to expose you - you'll be amazed by grace in new ways.

Others exposure:
Now you're ready. Because you've surrendered your cover up, you're now ready to see without hesitation what and who lies behind the curtain of others. They will see the true you and have new found or first found grace for what they too have carefully hidden from sight. They will see God and it will be amazing - for you and for them.

Making a dent,
Dan