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I forgive you if you’ve never read At Home In Mitford. I’m just saying that you’ve been missing out. The protagonist, Father Tim, and his neighbor, Cynthia, who live in the fictional village of Mitford have cast spells on me that cannot be undone. One morning when my kids were young-ish, after we were all dressed for the day and I had fed them breakfast and helped each one get a start to their day, I snuck back to my room. Inspired by Cynthia, I randomly placed hot rollers all over my head, and then crawled back into bed, grabbing my dog-eared copy of Jan Karon’s beloved book as I piled pillows behind me and pulled a quilt over my lap.
Father Tim is an often witty, sometimes hilarious, iconically stogy Episcopal priest. He quotes scripture to quiet his rambunctious dog, enjoys the tranquility of flower gardening, and (evident to everyone except himself) is falling in love with his neighbor Cynthia (who is known to forget a roller or two in her hair from time to time).
Father Tim says some of the most profound things. My favorite Father Tim-ism is this:
“The prayer that never fails is: Thy will be done.”
I listen online every midweek to one of my favorite pastors and brothers in Christ who shepherds a flock in the northwest metro at Gospel Life Church. He said this on Easter Sunday, paraphrasing a quote from D. A. Carson:
“In the first garden, ‘Not your will but mine’ changed paradise to desert and brought man from Eden to Gethsemane. In the second garden, ‘Not my will but yours’ transforms the desert into the Kingdom and brings man from Gethsemane to the gates of glory.”
I think Father Tim is right that the prayer that never fails is the very one Jesus prayed in the second garden, “Not my will but yours be done”. (Matthew 6:10). Conversely then, the prayer that will always fail, and the action following that that will always lead to death is this:
“Not your will (God) but mine.”
Eve was the first, but she wasn’t the last to taste forbidden fruit.
Paradise was changed to desert in the bite that has been tasted ’round the world ever since.
Eve was the first to act out the prayer of self-sufficiency, self-knowledge, and to follow her heart gone rogue. Living the “My will be done” lifestyle will always fail; it will always lead to death.
“My will be done” is an epidemic of core ideology today and the daily temptation within my own heart.
I know just a little sign language, but my favorite sign is for the word, surrender. Do it with me:
With your elbows bent, close your fingers into fists and turn your palms down.
Push your hands palms forward and up slightly as you simultaneously open wide all ten of your fingers heavenward.
By the grace of God, today and every day, refuse to close your fingers tight around the fruit of “I know best”, “I’ll follow my heart”, and self-sufficiency.
Pray “Thy will be done” with a surrendered heart and live.
His ways are always higher. His ways are always better.
If you want to be bathed in the good news of Jesus; if you would like to drink in gallons of the gospel, here is the link to Pastor Scott Byers’ Easter message from Hebrews 2:10-18:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gospel-life-church-podcast/id1354154807?i=1000704328471