Disguised

What if Someone came and lived with us, but we brushed Him off because He was not handsome. In fact, He came cloaked in the disguise of the lowly.

He worked hard. Helped his Mother. But, He did not call attention to Himself. There was this time during his teen years and twenties that He was silent. Observing.

His Mother knew He was special. She had lots of other children to compare Him to, and she knew He never did anything wrong, never complained, never gossiped, never snubbed another. When they attended this wedding, and a crisis occured---they ran out of wine, His Mother sorta pushed Him forward, as Mothers sometimes have a tendency to do. She told the waiters to do whatever He said.

I wonder when His time came, did he tell his Mother that He needed to go preach now? His preaching was not popular with the elites, yet He drew large crowds. The rumors of how He healed sick people, the miracles of the blind to see and the lame to walk...why, He even threw out demons, and called Himself the Son of God. At one point, Mary listened to her other children, and tried to drag Jesus back home because of what He was saying.

Mary stood near the foot of the cross, and watched her firstborn die. She heard Him hand over her care to John. And she was there on Resurrection Morning. So much had been hidden from her, but for so many years she had pondered all the wonders, all the strange things people had said to her, all the strange happenings...

He came disguised, as the lowest of the low. Yet, in His prime, physically able to make it to the cross and fulfill all the Promises. He took our place, He paid the cost.

And I think He wants us to be compassionate to the old, the ordinary, the plain, the fat, the ugly, the hard-to-love. Sometimes He wants us to experience what it feels like.

Pastor Mark Driscoll gave the definiton of repentance: conviction by the Holy Spirit to compel you to Jesus. confession to God, contrition==broken, humble, grieved. change by the help of the Holy Spirit and putting to death the old man, the old sin nature...for arrogance is "natural" in me. and how forgiveness means you can't keep bringing "it" up.

What if you attended a fabulous banquet, but because you were fat or ugly or not wanted, you were relegated to the corner, not included in the pictures, and when you read about it in the newspaper the next day, there was no proof you were even there. You'd never treat Jesus like that...not if you knew Who He Was and Is.

But, Jesus did not come and hide among us as a fat, ugly Jabba the Hut. And even our preacher admonishes the fat for being not disciplined, not _______________. (spiritual?) He does not go that far, but his job is to admonish the lazy, stupid sinners. there is that sin of gluttony. sloth.

Because I am obese, I do not fit on airplane seats, and I saw on the news that the airlines have the right to refuse me service. Because I am fat, I sweat easily, and therefore, try to take lots of baths and showers so that I am not offensive to others. Sometimes little kids cannot help it, or have not been taught, and the looks I get, or the comments. I can't very well explain that God made me this way. Surely not. I must be honest with little kids. God makes some tall, some short...some thin, some fat? No, fat is usually a curse, as sign of failure.

And being obese has hurt my testimony...why believe my testimony, when it did not solve my physical eyesore. Why believe the gospel from my lips when my hips scream out failure? I need a tee shirt or signage to wear: saved by grace, spending eternity in heaven, and eating to get there as fast as I can!

Our pastor pushes us to be friendly, greet people...but, I don't want to scare them away.

Now add incontinence. Going to the grocery store is a challenge. There is the risk of a coughing fit...and filling up a pad. Having an accident. Now add excessive bleeding. Like an old model T leaking oil all the time. I gotta laugh.

Is there someone I am shunning? Is there someone I am avoiding?

Would I care if someone like me came over and leaked on my chair, or broke it?

Am I kind to the fatties?

What about that ten year old taken from their parents for being too fat?

God has blessed me with a kind and gentle husband. He helps me reach places and clean up messes. He knows I am a clutz.