Frogiveness

Go back...read it again. I spelled it that way on purpose. FROGiveness.

I hit the keys on the wrong order the other day, and when I read what I wrote, I started laughing out loud. It wasn't one of those soft chuckles. No, I didn't giggle. I laughed. I LAUGHED.

Why did I laugh so hard at the thought of FROGiveness? Let me set the stage for you:

You've heard this story before: a princess meets a frog, kisses him, and he turns into a prince. We all smile when the eyes of young children grow as big as saucers as they hear this story for the first time. The difference between a child and an adult is the child BELIEVES the fairy tale. The frog REALLY TURNS into a prince in the mind's eye of a child. For a grownup it is just a story...evoking pleasant memories of childhood...but still just a story.

Isn't salvation exactly like that story? Jesus--the bridegroom...the Prince--finds a frog. Except the frog is pretty sure that she is important and lovely. Jesus lovingly kisses us, and we turn from frogs into real people with spirits that are alive and free FOR THE FIRST TIME. Before that we have the spirits of frogs...

And in order for this fairy tale to come true in our lives, we must BELIEVE it as if we are children. We must cast off the cynicism and stoicism of adulthood and regain our ability to FULLY put our trust in someone that PROMISES deliverance.

Why have we become so cynical? Snake-oil salesmen. They promise what they can't deliver. We put our heart into believing and are disappointed over and over and over again. The king of snake-oil salesmen is the head snake Satan. You might recognize him au naturel in the Garden of Eden. He's there. Selling snake oil. "YOU can be LIKE GOD if you ONLY eat of THIS FRUIT (and rebel against God.)"

That's the snake-oil salesman's patter: do this and achieve power and glory and honor (by denying God's power and glory and honor.) We try it. We never find what we're looking for in it. We are disappointed at spending our $1.99 to find the MEANING of life!! We know it has to cost SOMETHING to find it, but we're cheap, so we're not going to pay very much after all. We want the shortcut. We want the easy answer.

But God isn't a snake-oil salesman. In fact, he really isn't into selling at all. He expects US to seek HIM out. And he wants us to do it with our whole hearts...with EVERYTHING that we have.

And when we do, the story goes something like this:

You've left the lilypad to go on a search for that something that you know you're missing. You look high and low under EVERY branch and along EVERY path. You find data--information--that suggests that it all makes sense and all hangs together. Your heart longs to find the meaning and the purpose to life.

You're hopping along one day and another frog says: "Hey, I've been where you are and I would like to introduce you to someone that can help you with finding meaning. In fact, if you get to know him he will change your life." You've heard the story about the princess and the frog and you wonder, IS IT TRUE?

So you go along with this frog and you come upon an Alice-in-Wonderland-style mushroom with frogs gathered all around. Your friend says, "He's over there, can't you see him?"

You look and you're frustrated because he seems to be hidden behind other frogs. You can't see that awesome Prince that you envision in your mind. You know...the one that stands head and shoulders above the rest, has smooth skin, long dark hair, a beard, and stands in flowing robes.

Then the crowd parts and you SEE him. But...wait...he isn't what you expected. He isn't much to look at. He's kind of short...in fact...compared to your mental picture of the Prince...he's disappointingly short. His skin is indeed smooth, but not for the reason that you imagined. You see...he's a frog, too.

Your mind starts to reel: "The Prince is a frog? How can that be? And if he is a frog, then what happens when...well...he kisses me? What do I turn into now?"

Thinking of the snake that tried to sell you some magical "Amphibious Skin Smoother" last week, you start to turn away and head out. Maybe the promise of meaning is a farce. Maybe our greatest hopes are pointless.

Then it happens...he looks at you...says your name. And you KNOW there is something different about this frog. He asks you if you have ever experienced FROGiveness in your life. You honestly don't know what that is so you say, "no".

Then he startles you: "You can only experience FROGiveness if you give up your search for meaning and replace it with knowing ME. If you will do that, I will FROGive you and your life will be filled to overflowing."

"What? But my search for meaning is all I am," you think. "How can I replace it with anything less than bountiful knowledge or beautiful art or wonderful music?"

"How can I find meaning and purpose in knowing a FROG? And what happens to my hope of leaving frogness behind and becoming something else?? When will I be kissed and change just like in the fairy tales?"

But...but...there is something about him. You know that what's on the inside of him is different even if the outside looks like all the other frogs...maybe even worse...you know he isn't even that handsome!!

So you answer, "I don't even know what FROGiveness is...how can you FROGive me?"

And he smiles lovingly, walks over to you, and puts his head on top of your head and kisses you...and then you know!! FROGiveness is God accepting exactly who you are...warts and all...in order that you might know exactly who he is in all of his glory.

And it's called FROGiveness because God knew that in order for FROGS to accept FROGiveness, it had to come from someone a LOT like them. And in that moment you realize that God is more than you can ever imagine and you know that you will never know all there is to know about him no matter how much you search.

You also know you WILL search and you WILL discover him. And in doing that the purpose of being a frog will become both obvious and completed. And that only through FROGiveness could you EVER have known all of that!

So I ask you...gentle reader...have you experienced FROGiveness? Have you turned your life over to God exactly the way you are? And in doing so have you asked him to reveal himself to you? And is he doing that right now as you read this story?

God is waiting to come alive for you like you have never imagined. He is getting ready to pierce the veil and break through and you will see him in ALL of his glory. But for right now we have to search with ALL of our heart to know him. Isn't the promise of meaning (not to mention sharing his glory) worth it? Won't you ask for FROGiveness from him today?

;)