An Angel Gets Her Wings

The first time I met Sharon was through my mentor friend, Lynn. Lynn was hoping to gather a few women for a Bible study she wanted to lead, and I was all for it. Right off the bat, my thoughts toward Sharon were she was as sweet as could be, soft spoken, gentle as a dove and altogether delightful. Her demeanor was such that you felt you had entertained an angel and doing so quite aware. Our small collected group of ladies soon began gathering for our weekly Bible time, leaning into God’s Word to heal our hearts and share our stories.

One day, Sharon tenderly shared a story that has stood out to me to this day years later, still in awe of this glorious picture of God’s transforming love.

You see, there was a time when gentle and demure Sharon would wear a necklace that had a tiny bell hanging ever so delicate from its chain. Since bells make noise that could bother her coworker in the next cubicle, Sharon politely stuffed the small bell with tissue to stop the clapper from doing what it was created to do: hit the inside of the bell to make it ring

Quite simply, she ceased its back-and-forth movement to muffle the sound that was meant to be heard.

To me, that bell became a clever representation of us three timid ladies who came together for Lynn’s Bible study. Being led and encouraged out of timidity, we wanted to not only find God’s love more completely, wholly and intimately, but our true God-given identity which would free up our voices in the process.

Somewhere along the way, that bell, like our lives, seemed better if it did not make the sound it was designed to. Perhaps that sound, those ideas or thoughts might upset people, make them uncomfortable or even worse…they may not like us. Some had even been told it was better to be seen and not heard, so with all those lies... we stuffed emotional tissue of self-preservation to cushion our fear of man, of being heard, drawing attention to ourselves or for that nagging clang of disapproval which seemed not worth the risk to…

Live out loud

Live boldly

Be free

Be Holy Spirit led

Live without restrictions or limitations

With all that being said, somewhere in our hearts we still carried within us a tiny bell of hope. That little bell was a stepping stone to truth, now temporarily buried in a lie. We longed for truth uncovered, lies eradicated and for our hearts to blossom fully into all the fullness God had for us. Grabbing a hold of God’s promises and living 2 Timothy 1:7 AMPC out loud and unapologetically was all of our hearts’ cries.

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but (He has given us a spirit) of power and of love and of a calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

Oxford dictionary describes the following words:

Craven: contemptibly lacking in courage, cowardly, fearful.

Cringing: to feel very embarrassed and uncomfortable about something. To move back and/or away from someone because you are afraid.

Fawning: to try to please somebody by praising them or paying too much attention.

Those traits are things I simply do not want in my life ever. We are called to ring the bell of freedom loud and clear, silencing the blaring lies of the enemy once and for all for ourselves and others.

I love how bells beautifully symbolize beginnings and endings (see www.ire.minnstate.edu). Even the sound of bells from Aaron’s robe were heard as he entered the Holy Place before the Lord and when he came out (see Exodus 28:35).

With Sharon’s story, bells rang in a new beginning for her overcoming fear of man and public opinion, while learning the joy letting her voice be heard. Once and for all, every lie that once held her back was ended, and she no longer has issues with stuffing tissues (emotional or paper) to keep quiet. She is still sweet as can be and oh so angelic. I dare say even more so now, for she’s living completely in her God-given purpose. Someone once said, “Sharon needs to be sharing more.” I could not agree more.

Sharon’s freedom had her ditch her tiny tissue stuffed bell and trade it for (the humorous thing some people say) more cowbell!

That, my friend, is what I call a true liberty bell.

Wise instruction are graceful garlands for your head and pendants for your neck. —Proverbs 1:9 ESV my paraphrase

“Every time a bell rings an angel gets their wings.” —It’s a Wonderful Life

“I got a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell.” —Christopher Walken

Prayer:

Lord, may we long to enter that Holy Place of time well spent with You. Thank you that You have got our coming and our going from this day forward and forevermore. Thank you that You love to hear our voice. Our voice is like music to Your ears. May we continually worship You and not be silent.

Excerpts from Grace -Filled Seasons A 52-Week Discovery Of God's All Sufficient Grace. Lisa Jennings