Confessions of A Reluctant Damsel in Distress, and a more than willing, yet thoroughly incapable Heroine.
If I could write the script for my life, I would certainly be a Heroine- never a damsel in distress. Damsels in distress are weak willed and (often) weak minded, they are needy and pathetic. A daughter of the sixties (well… ’68, anyways) I wouldn’t allow it. I’d have to do a re-write on the whole script.
If I were “Nell Fenwick” Dudley Do-Right would find ME standing above Snidley Whiplash… with him tied up with a bow and neat girl-scout knots, tightly to the train tracks. I’d smile and say “Dudley, Do you need my help?”
If I were Lois Lane— Superman would be able to spend his time rescuing cats from trees, in a single bound. I’d take care of myself, thank you, very much.
If I were “Mary Jane Watson”, Spiderman could spend his time knitting webs. (I had to work a knitting reference in;)
Or, so I thought.
The truth is- I am (fairly) intelligent, very resourceful, and extremely independant. None-the-less, I am a damsel in distress. While I can handle the daily crisis’, (well- except for theat one week each month… then I freak when the faucet shoots water into the air above my head) multi-task with a vengance and solve problems for others with a fair amount of ease, I cannot rescue myself. Not from death, sin, sickness, hell (not a popular word, yet, still true) or all the other things that are outside of my control. (Which, I’m slowly realizing, is just about EVERYTHING.)
As far as picking myself up by the bootstraps. I usually end up tripping over them. This has even- affected my journey with God. Before I let God handle a situation… I may try say, 50 ways to fix it myself. Yet, I never, actually do. I just end up tripping over myself. SPLAT. I land on my backside, hands raised to my heavenly Father crying “Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” (bad reference to an 80’s commercial- sorry bout that)
For years, when in a crisis I’ve poured over The story of David and Goliath. I’ve always read it to mean that when we follow God, we can be brave, have courage and can slay our giants. I can be my own heroine. Not.
I’ve been re-reading the story, without my heroine issues…and, well, I don’t think it’s about David and his skill with a sling shot or even his great faith, at all. It’s about what God does to rescue David. And David letting Him do it, through him.
In David’s own words we can see that emphasized:
1 Samuel 17 (NIV)
“45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
The Lord slayed Goliath. Sure, David had 5 smooth stones. He slung them, but God Guided them. God slayed Goliath. And God alone, can slay ours. I wonder what would have happened if David had said to God- “Hey, I got this one- I’m a pretty good shot from all that time in the sheep pastures!”
My guess is, David would have been tripping over HIS bootstraps too.
Today- try as you might NOT to be a damsel in distress, are you? Are you tripping over your bootstraps trying to rescue yourself? Are desperately erasing the script of your life, hoping to do a re-write, where you become heroine, not damsel in distress?
Give it up, girl. We need a Hero. And we have one… if we’ll let Him rescue us!
His name is Jesus. Rescuer and lover of our soul. click to see a video of one of my favorite worship sons) (If you are on dial-up I apologize in advance- simply click the “stop” button and it will cease to load) But- today- this was a song to be played, not just quoted.
“Dear Jesus- I love you— I trust you to be my hero, you are the lover of my soul, you know the deepest parts of me that are so desperate to rescue myself… help me Lord- to let YOU rescue me! I love you- amen”
Wow, this was awesome! It sounds just like me, very independent but very much in need of a hero – I’m so glad I found HIM!!
I think most females, and males for that matter, struggle with the urge to do it themselves. I know I spend a lot of time acting like a two year old insisting I can “do it myself”. God is good and He gently reminds me to step back and let Him. Great one today.
So happy He took me from the muck and He’s the lover of my soul.
blessings!
Jesus is my forever hero.
The more I try to control things the bigger mess I make. You have it exactly right!!
Tracey, I loved this post. I can relate to your heroine tendencies more than you know. And, I have to confess, regarding the commercial reference, when I was 23, my roommate and I made our answering machine message to reflect the “I’ve fallen and can’t get up” commercial. That was the reason, we couldn’t answer the phone, of course! LOL. Her and I had some good times with those messages, being the ’67 babies that we were.
Thanks for sharing your heart with us.
Tracey,
You make me smile, teach me and encourage me with every post….If we all would take these words with us…but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will hand you over to me,…
What a different world it would be. Great Post!