Faceless-Alias | Free-Flow Friday | The View from My Window
This wasn’t her. Walking through the park looking at the faceless souls, aliases lost in the chaos of life. “Hi, how are you doing today?” The greeting was done in an effort to feel again. “Fine,” the stranger solemnly said. The stranger’s face never looked up. The response seemed to be contrived from the deep feelings of the stranger who would rather keep them to herself. She could relate. Sometimes you needed to say something to make sure you were alive and breathing. But exposing the alias was not an option. Facelessness was in control today.
“Where is she?” Allia thought to herself, almost speaking aloud. Although it would not have been strange since most in the park did the same. She had not seen Christine for quite a while. She looked around the group in the park. Allia did not even see Dane, Christine’s significant other. The faces were familiar but the faces she had become familiar with showed the aliases covering the details of these circumstances. Or, did the circumstances bring the aliases?
Allia knew there were a few in the park here by choice. They had given up on trying to make sense of the events they had been thrown in life. Kinda like the baseball game when the last ball is thrown. Bottom of the ninth, two outs, two strikes and three balls and a runner on third. The score is 3-2. The crowd is silent but excited with grand expectation awaiting the move from the pitcher and the batter. The batter is focused on hitting the ball out of the park so his team can win the game. The runner on third anticipating the base hit or home run that would bring him home. The pitcher winds up to throw the ball. Here it comes. Fast and swift. Right over the plate and the swing is a second too late. Strike three, you’re out!
The batter is visibly upset. Throws the bat. Half the crowd cheers, half the crowd oohs and aahs. Feeling the disappointment of the batter and the runner on third, the crowd has intensified the moment. Coming back from the nostalgia of enjoying her favorite sport, she scans the park one more time in order to make sure she didn’t miss Christine. Allia never thought she would truly understand the plight of the homeless, the faceless-aliases of people who were either thrown into or chose to be in this situation of living on the street. Sleeping where they could. Eating where and when they could. Every once in a while the good Samaritan would show up making a big difference for that day, but only that day. The next day, the apparent facelessness would continue. Today she understood this plight.
Allia was one of the faceless-aliases in the park today. Her search for Christina was futile at this point. She didn’t imagine any dire circumstances. She would just return tomorrow to see if her search would be fruitful. She only wanted to enjoy a moment with someone who could understand. Someone who would be able to see her, and not the alias of circumstances now out of her control? Allia’s alias moved forward through the park being one of the faceless in the group today.
He’s chasing me. The pursuit is relentless. Haven’t been able to rest for the energy to keep running. He’s been chasing me for years. Why won’t He stop? Relentless. What’s the word? Neverending. Where can I run to? Left? Right? Straight ahead? Closer and closer He gets. I cannot outrun Him. What can I do? Where can I go? Where can I run?
Part of this revelation is apparent when we look at the Psalms. David prayed that God would renew a right spirit within him. (Psalm 51). If there was no need to surrender often, this prayer would not be unnecessary. The flesh, the world, and the enemy bring about the need to stay before the Lord and continually surrender. Life events and other elements seem to come forth out of nowhere. This is the reason we are called to be sober, keep watch. This spiritual journey cannot be taken lightly. It is also revealed in other parts of Scripture that we need to forgive one another, sometimes even seventy times seven. The flesh is not relenting easily. Neither is the world and definitely not the enemy.
It is necessary to take the plunge and get into God. Surrendering empties ourselves of ourselves. We can then immerse to develop the most important relationship of our lives, the relationship with God through Christ Jesus our Lord. The true love we desire to give others flows from this relationship. We cannot get to know God if we don’t get to know God. Surrendering is a daily process along with immersing ourselves in His Word. Falling asleep is not just literal. We fall asleep in our busyness and in our lives. That is letting the call to “be sober and keep watch” fall by the wayside. When we put God first, He will make the way for the rest that is needed. Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven.
Desire is a longing or craving, as for something that brings satisfaction or enjoyment. What are your desires? This is such a strong word. It seems to delve deep into the soul for me. My desire is for the fullness of the Lord. This is the time of Lent. During this time, I will be seeking to get to know God more than ever. I have spent the last year praying for my needs to be met. I have come to realize that I already have what I need the most, Christ Jesus as my Lord and Savior. My desires have changed quite a bit. Believing the Word of God, my physical needs have been met. He is Jehovah Jireh, my provider. That said, the focus of my needs is on Jesus. His Word says to delight in Him and He will give you the desires of your heart. The things you desire change as the relationship with the Lord deepens. I believe this is a critical factor because God desires that we worship Him and not anything else.