A good ten years ago, a friend called Nick told me at a party that God said I was his Care Bear.
Did you have a Care Bear growing up?
Here are some of my favourite quotes from the Care Bears
Tenderheart Bear: The Care Bears can't ignore any cry for help no matter where it's coming from
Cheer Bear: "Cousins!! Kids!! Every Bear!! Don't just sit there!! Care care care!!!!
Lotsa Heart Elephant:
"And that's the truth." And of course not forgetting the Care Bear Stare:
This is a very important part of my process right now, knowing myself better and understanding myself better, as God's Care Bear.
There's a battle on at the moment. There is a great big Goliath sitting right in front of a massive bit of territory that I really want to claim. Have you experienced that before?
Sometimes our Goliaths are very quantifiable things - lack of finances, lack of time, lack of help, lack of vision. But on this occasion, my Goliath is knowing, really knowing, who I am and whose I am to the depth and extent that I'm willing to step out of my present and in to my destiny. It's coming in the form of intense, ugly, accusing, painful, negative 'lack' thoughts about myself, my worth, my value, my loved-ness, my lack of acceptance, my lack of qualification and on and on...
I've had a promise, and that is I will be able to hear the negative thoughts as they enter my mind, and to immediately be able to say: Well, pfffff, that's not what Jesus says about me!
As light as that!
The reality of being in a battle is that there is an enemy who won't relent. He won't back off. He won't play fair. He won't honour you by being a gracious loser. He won't say that this one is all sorted now, I'm not going to bother with them any more.
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)
The even greater reality is that we have a victor who has already won the battle. Who has been tested and taunted like we have, and has overcome. Who is even more committed, even more relentless, even more powerful and authoritative than our adversary.
Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” Revelation 5:5 (NIV)
So I do face a battle and like David, who was armed and was practiced with a sling shot and some pebbles, I am armed and am practicing with my big red love heart which bursts out of my tummy!
According to Wikipedia, The Care Bear Stare is an ability that most members of the Care Bear Family possess. The primary uses of this ability are to defeat the Care Bears' enemies and to heal people that have been corrupted by them.
The process in the battle is having the courage just to stand in front of the mean boastful giant, to hold the seemingly meagre weapons that I have been given, to keep on standing there, to keep on looking at it, to keep on hearing it, and taking aim, waiting for just the right moment, to fire and see it knocked down dead. My Care Bear Stare!
The exciting thing for me here isn't just the ability to defeat my enemies, but also the ability to heal others too. Now THAT is a territory worth standing my ground over.
I am practicing Self Care too by taking in and speaking out as much truth as I can access: that the battle belongs to the Lord, that the enemy has been defeated. I am loved, I am seen, I am known, I am held tight. He who I belong to is perfect. He who I belong to is worthy. I think its important to remind myself too that I am brave, brave to keep saying yes to Jesus leading me through this battle. All I can do is keep saying yes to Him. I'm enjoying looking more closely at these special weapons of love, encouragement, tender heartedness, caring, lotsa heart, and being really cuddly too!
And that's the truth...
AMAZING song if you're working through something similar this week. Stick with this version right to the end, even if you've heard it many times, for the best bit, as with many things, comes right at the end!
Special thanks to my lovely Lionness Prayer Team for all their love and support xx
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