I Dare You To

I double dog dare you is the school yard taunt that makes the most rational kid do something they wouldn’t normally do, just to prove they aren’t afraid to do it. Even in the Christmas Story the triple dog dare that caused Flink’s tongue to get stuck to the flagpole was all because Flink didn’t want to look like a coward. To say “I Dare You” to someone causes this itch inside of them to prove you wrong that they can do what you dared them to do. If done the right way this could actually be a good thing, like the time I dared my son to clean his room faster than I could fold and put away the mountain of laundry I had on my bed. We turned on some lively music, playfully taunted each other as we worked and eventually got the chores done all the while having fun competing with each other, not to mention the winner got to get some ice cream.

Just recently a song came out from the band Mercy Me called “Say I Won’t”. In some versions of the song videos show different challenges that people overcame that they were told they never could. In a way they had been challenged by those around them to fail and they took it upo themeselves to proves the naysayers wrong. It is a song that was written to encourage perserverance and the willingness to push past the obstacles that were put before them.

As we look forward to Christmas this week, we can look to the obstacles that were placed in front of a young woman and her soon to be husband as they go forward as a couple with a very special miracle placed in their care. Picture a young woman, getting ready to be married to a young man. In the time frame she grew up in her main job as a married woman was to take care of the home and the children she will have. Her husband took care of taking care of the family by providing for them and being the spiritual leader in the home. This young lady had her world turned upside down when an angel came to her and said:

Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you amoung women!....Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  An behold, you will concieve in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus"
Luke 1: 28-31

I dare anyone to not be amazed by this, especially if they could picture this happening to them and responding the way Mary did by basically saying “your will be done Lord” This right here is one of the most miraculous miracles ever to be and every day we can live as if this miracle alone has changed the type of person we are. Just as in the song from Mercy Me, people were changed by circumstances that were sometimes out of their control, but because of those circumstances they overcame. They said “Say I Won’t” to the naysayers and then they did. Just as Mary had to go on with her life and the naysayers of her time to bring forth the Savior of the World, she did knowing that God was in control.

At the begining of December I was challenged to read through the book of Luke, a chapter a day for the month of December. It started with the birth of Christ and will end with His death and reserection days after Christmas is over. I took on this challenge for a few reasons, for one it gets me back in line with the One who is in control, two I was able to challenge my daughters to do it with me and be able to talk with them daily about what they learned, and third it helps me to remember the true reason for this season.

I love to dare people to do things when I know it will be beneficial for them. So you won’t see me daring one of my kids to stick their tongue to a flagpole during a freeze spell any time soon. But I have no problem daring someone to stop smoking. I wil dare someone to run a race with me. I will dare my kids to do something faster than me to show them they can do it. I will dare my husband to clean off the hope chest in our room by a certain date to help him get the gun he really wants. I will dare a coworker to dream big and go back to college to get her vet tech degree. I will dare a grieving mother to spred her son’s love by sending homemade cards to random people she knows, just because I know it will help her grieve better. I will dare my kids to be nice to each other. I will do all of these dares because I know in every one of these situations I will be there to do them with the person.

Sometimes people just need to know there is someone in their corner cheering them on and challenging them to do better. When I accepted Christ into my life many years ago, I gained that person. From that point on I didn’t have to rely on any one but Him and when He did put someone in my life to challenge me I knew it was out of HIs love for me that He did it. The world we live in is very challenging, it is scary and can be hard to comprehend. When we start to see that it is out of our control and is totally in His control we are able to find the joy and peace that comes with that knowlege. So though the month of December is almost over, I dare you to take a look at the gospel of Luke and read about Jesus’ story. I dare you to keep an open mind and heart as you do it, and find a way after to love someone the way Christ did and still does. Until next time enjoy the words from Mercy Me’s new song:

“Say I Won’t”

Today it all begins
I’m seeing my life for the very first time
Through a different lens
Yesterday
I didn’t understand
Driving 35 with the rocket inside
Didn’t know what I had

While I’ve been waiting to live
My life’s been waiting on me

I’m gonna run
No I’m gonna fly
I’m gonna know what it means to live
And not just be alive
The world’s gonna hear
Cause I’m gonna shout
And I will be dancing when circumstances drown the music out
Say I won’t

Not enough
Is what I’ve been told
But it must be a lie
Cause the Spirit inside says I’m so much more
So let them say what they want
Oh I dare them to try

I’m gonna run
No I’m gonna fly
I’m gonna know what it means to live
And not just be alive
The world’s gonna hear
Cause I’m gonna shout
And I will be dancing when circumstances drown the music out
Say I won’t
Say I won’t
Say I won’t
Say I won’t

I can do all things
Through Christ who gives me strength
So keep on saying I won’t
And I’ll keep proving you wrong

I’m gonna run
No I’m gonna fly
I’m gonna know what it means to live
And not just be alive
This world’s gonna hear
Cause I’m gonna shout
And I will be dancing when circumstances drown the music out
Say I won’t
Say I won’t
Say that I won’t
Oh say I won’t
Say I won’t