"DO NOT BURY ME IN EGYPT."

The above quote is from Genesis 47. It's one of the last things Jacob said before he died.

I've always considered "Egypt" to be symbolic of the world and all its allures and ways. So often I feel as if I am buried in the world, in Egypt.  I don't want to be, but . . .

One of the mystics of old, Theresa of Avila, was at one time buried in Egypt.

She was born in 1515 in southern Spain at a time when the world was rapidly changing - a newly secularized church, gravity, autopsies and the beginnings of modern medicine, new observations about the solar system, expansion, trade, etc.  Science was beginning to replace eternity mindsets. The church itself was undergoing changes fueled by names like Martin Luther, Calvin, Henry VIII, John Knox, the Council of Trent, etc.

Theresa's dad was a devout believer; however, her mom was interested in other pursuits like reading the popular novels of the day - their version of soap operas. 

Theresa was pretty and like her mother loved all that glittered, parties, and the affections of young men.

Around the age of twenty, that changed. She fell ill and remained in pain and suffering the rest of her life.  In the midst of all of this, she met "His Majesty" - her name for our Lord - and nothing was the same for her.  Gone were her worldly affections replaced by an intense burning love for her Lord.

Her main desire was to be as much like her Lord as was possible.  She wanted to "walk the path of her Lord's humility."  Her desire was oneness with Him, letting Him live in her and seeing Him glorified through her life. She separated herself unto God in heart and suffered and was persecuted by the church for it.

As believers, we too face similar questions.  Just how much of God do we want in our lives?  [even though we know He wants everything]

How much of the world are we willing to let into our souls?  How many good deeds are we willing to do for Him - tithes, offerings, devotions, prayer, benevolence, church membership?  If we're honest, most of us have drawn a line where we say, "Okay. Come into this room, but respectfully, please no further.  Not that."

According to my studies, we cannot have both - God and the world.  We "gotta serve somebody."

Near the end of her life, Theresa set out in the freezing rain to establish a new mission.  Suffering under heart failure and in great pain, she and her followers came across a cold, rushing creek.  She plunged in and was swiftly taken downstream.  Her followers thought all was lost until they heard her goading them from the opposite side somewhere down the creek.

While she was struggling in the water, she thought about complaining until she heard her Lord say, "This is how I treat the ones who want to be my close friends."  She understood what being a "Friend of God" meant:  depending on Him alone in the midst of all the whatevers so that He can do His thing and in "power and majesty" be glorified in their weaknesses.

She laughed and replied to Him, "Ah, my Lord. Then it's no wonder you have so few."

Yes, the road to "Zion" is narrow and fraught with dangers and difficulties, but He has walked it before and asks that we follow in His steps.  He calls us to Himself and asks that our identity be found in Him and nothing else.

Tripped this morning over some clutter in my house.  Reminded me of the world's clutter in my own soul.  Think it's time for housecleaning.  Don't want to be buried in Egypt.

[Facts and story from a devotional entitled How Majestic Is Your Name.]