The "D" Word... *Gasp*

Today I’ll address the “D” word.

*gasp* Grab the soap, Mama.

I asked for suggestions on facebook for a D word to write about in this Christianese series, and I must admit, I’m surprised no one submitted “damnation”. Jan Ackerson gave me her free thinking list of spiritual words for consideration: Duck, depression, doo-doo, doughnut, deliverance, daughter, dalliance, dance, dress, doily, dilly-dally, dilly bar.

Although it would be tempting to try to write something spiritual from the words doo-doo or dilly bar, I had to pass on that. Also, I can tell Jan and Lisa Mikitarian are good friends because I’m always googling Lisa’s choice of vocabulary. She keeps me on my toes and pushes me beyond that high school diploma. She’s a true friend, pushing me to become a better person. Well, I had to google one of Jan's suggestions; the word dalliance. *whispering* I wonder if she knew that dalliance has the s-e-x word in the definition. Like I would EVER write about THAT topic.

After pondering the many suggestions it became a toss-up between two words: deliver and divine. My brain went with deliver.

First, I always try to decipher the word... you know, break it down:

Deliver

de liver = the liver  (an essential organ in your body that aides with digestion.)

Deli Ver (the name of a new sandwich shop in Vermont?)

Hmmm… maybe not this time.

When I was a little girl, we had three things delivered to us on a regular basis: Milk from the milkman, mail from the mailman, and two local newspapers from a paperboy.  Milk, mail, and newspaper picked up from a mysterious location (in my mind at least) and hand delivered up our 1/4 mile long, windy, bumpy, full of potholes, driveway right to our doorstep. (Except the mail was at the street.) 

Author's Note: Unfortunately, pizza delivery wasn't popular yet...either that or my parents ignored the cool possibilities and necessity of piping hot pizza being delivered like our ice cold milk.

Unlike my life today, we didn't have to drive to the grocery store for dairy products, or go inside the post office for our mail, or pick up our paper from a paper box outside the corner gas station. (Come to think of it, we never went out for pizza, either. I had a deprived childhood.)

Mom left a check and a list for the milkman, Dad paid the paperboy in a special sealed envelope each month, and we often left homemade cookies in the mailbox at Christmas time. 

There are a myriad of scriptures that deal with deliver or delivered, and like the word bless, deliver can take on many connotations.  In the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6) I learned to say by rote memory at an early age: "...lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen."

So, I decided to apply my milkman/mailman/paperboy theology to this verse in an effort to better understand the word deliver in this world renown passage of the Bible.

To be delivered, we have to originate from somewhere. My childhood milk, when processed, was delivered (carried away) fresh from Smith Brother's Farm, to my back porch, by the milkman. Our mail was gathered from all over the country and delivered (carried to) our mailbox at the end of our driveway. The newspaper was printed in the big city of Seattle, bundled up, picked up, and delivered (carried to) our front porch...usually. My sinful nature, tempted and tormented by the evil one, has been delivered (carried away) and set on the path to the Kingdom of God, by the nail pierced hands of Jesus. 

The coolest thing is; unlike the milkman, there's no need to leave a check for payment. Jesus paid for all my sin, and if I allow Him to continue to carry me away, He'll carry me to the Kingdom of God... Signed, sealed, delivered… I’m Yours, Lord.