He was tall (for a 6th grade boy) blonde and blue eyes. He had captured my heart and now the rest of the 6th grade class decided that capturing both of us and handcuffing us to the backstop at recess would be a hilarious adventure. This is exactly why you never tell your middle school girl friends who your latest crush is. Otherwise you find yourself in a strange predicament. Actually, I really didn't mind. I was so utterly in love (or so I thought) with Bobby B. that being handcuffed to a baseball backstop was actually quite romantic to me. For 15 minutes I could just gaze into those beautiful ‘swim in the deep blue sea’ eyes and fantasize about our future together. Where we would live, his occupation which would provide us the house with the white picket fence, how many beautiful blue eyed, blond haired children we would have, etc. etc. etc. Unfortunately my day dreaming came to an abrupt close when fellow classmates, with teacher in tow, came to unlock our cuffs. After all, when recess was over and Bobby B. and I didn't show up for language arts someone had to fess us to their devious plan.
Fortunately, Bobby B. and I never got that white picket fence and all those children because Bobby B and I never got hitched. Instead God provided a dark haired, semi tall guy who is much more my type. And much cuter I might add.
However, the story of Bobby B. makes a great illustration for this month's theme on freedom. Even though I was not a free individual when handcuffed to that back stop some forty years ago I didn't mind. I was delighted to be enslaved to one (even though momentarily) who I had been captivated by. That word, captivated, is an interesting word. It can mean enthralled, fascinated, awestruck. At eleven years old I thought I was captivated, enthralled, fascinated, awestruck with Bobby B. Now that I am older and wiser I can say I have learned what it really means to be captivated by another more worthy of my awe.
Christ captured my heart back in January of 1980. From that day on I have been "handcuffed" to Him and I have not minded a bit. In fact, a bit like Bobby B. but on a grander scale, I have been, for thirty one years, held captive by God’s everlasting love for me. To be in held captive in God's presence compares to nothing else. Psalm 84:1 sums it up well.
How lovely are your dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.
God’s love has captivated me to the point that I never want to leave His presence. And because I was given His Holy Spirit when I surrendered my heart and life to Jesus 31 years ago I am forever in His presence. I am “handcuffed” eternally to Him. He will never let me go. I am forever His. A much more beautiful and enduring relationship than me and Bobby B.
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This month the Lovely Branches (lovelybranchesministries.org) theme is on freedom. Take just a couple minutes (2:06) to watch Matt Chandler as he talks about slavery in the biblical sense. If interested in ordering the complete DVD series you can find it at http://store.rightnow.org/Store/. Once there, search Philippians.
In this next video Matt Chandler is giving us just a short snippet (3:08) from a message he gave at the Right Now Conference a couple years ago. We have this video in its entirety in our Lovely Branches library. If you live in the Stafford County area and are interested in borrowing this awe inspiring video contact us at admin@lovelybranchesministries org.
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