17 Aug When Mr. Meany Comes to Call
August 17, 2011
“I don’t want you here… go away!”
Has Mr. Meany ever visited you? He probably has, but maybe you didn’t recognize him or don’t know his name.
He barged in through my door yesterday, but this time, I threw him out pretty quickly. It started with a knock on my door when I was home alone. We’ve just moved to Austin, Texas, and when I opened the door, it was a very kind, elderly neighbor man from next door holding a box. I’ve talked to him a couple of times before.
“I brought you some cookies from my favorite bakery in town. I hope you’ll like them.” He smiled graciously. “Oh thank you so much, Ned. That is so nice of you. I was just scavenging through my kitchen looking for a treat, and couldn’t find anything. I really appreciate it.”
We said goodbye, I closed the door, and immediately Mr. Meany pounced: Why didn’t you invite him in? He was being so nice, and the least you could have done was invite him in for a few minutes. You really are a terrible person. You just passed up a great opportunity to make him feel good, and maybe make a difference in his life. The thoughts brought a deep, aching, burning in my soul. For a few minutes, I squirmed in their suffocating grasp. Then I came to my senses, a fresh breath of spiritual air filling my lungs.
Wait a minute! I hardly know Ned, and haven’t I warned my own children all their lives to be cautious with people they don’t know very well? And I’ve had a few unsettling experiences with men throughout my years that have taught me to be careful. Besides, Ned’s nonverbals showed me that he was just dropping the box off and then heading on. I had some pretty good reasons to not invite him in, Mr. Meany!
That accusing, condemning, anxiety–provoking voice that we hear…It can hold us in its clutches for minutes, hours, and much longer if we don’t stand up to it and kick it out! Are its origins remnants from our growing-up experiences? Or is it more spiritually evil in nature? Either way, freedom comes for me when I proactively refuse to play its game. Prayer and objectively thinking the truth are helpful, then filling my mind with healthful things.
So as I walked into the kitchen, I focused on the sunny day outside my window, savoring its beauty. Then I prayed for Ned, ignoring Mr. Meany’s final attempts to pull me down. He finally dissipated in defeat as gratitude and peace prevailed.
“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things…And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8,9