If I only had the nerve....

The Wizard of Oz is filled with characters who believe they lack the very qualities they most value in life.  While the Tin Man bemoans his lack of a heart, he continually thinks of others and acts on those feelings.  The lion bewails his cowardly impulses, but he none the less barges ahead and faces his fears to protect his friends.  The scarecrow feels he is inadequate because of his lack of brains, and yet he thinks things through and comes up with plans time after time in order to prevail over the evil that is chasing them.  And Dorothy herself finally realizes how important her own home and family are to her, so much so that even in the beautiful and now perfect Land of Oz she dreams of going home again to Kansas.

What transforms this motley crew of characters from the fearful, silly creatures they start out as and into the brave, intelligent, thoughtful characters they end to be?

The Wizard would tell you it was his doing.  He would say that he endowed them all with the qualities they most desired by giving them affirmation of what already existed in their personalities.

But I think the transformation was internal.  The change in their way of thinking came about during each test they endured in order to get to each character's desired end.

Facing our own failings is difficult.  Forging ahead when we feel inadequate for the job is scary.  Knowing that we are ill equipped to take care of the situation makes it much harder to confront and deal with.  But it is through those moments where we face up and deal with what troubles us that our own personal transformation comes about.  New growth without pruning the flower results in scraggly, spindly stalks that yield little in the way of beauty.  It is through the harsh process of the pruning that we see the plant in its full, resplendent magnificence.

While Dorothy and her friends faced evil and wickedness in the form of an erratic, and often irrational, witch, we also face evil and wickedness on a daily basis living in a secular world.  We need to have courage and faith to sustain our daily walk with God and reach our own full potential.  While the walk can be lonely, even frightening at times, we are not alone, and need not fear the traveling.  God has promised us that he will be with us the whole way.  In Joshua 1:9 we are told, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  (NIV)

God promises us repeatedly throughout his Word that he will be there for us, supporting, comforting, and encouraging us.  The theme of God's love is seen throughout the Bible, in every chapter and every story.  We have only to open our hearts to accept what he is offering to be enfolded in the love of the Savior who sacrificed everything for us and for our eternal future.

God gives us everything we need.  I thank him for the brain, the heart, the courage and the recognition of every blessing that I've been given.  The road may be rocky and winding instead of yellow brick, but my path is clear, and my guide is the God in whom I place my trust and faith.