One Thing

In the hills of Israel God prepared a man who would lead His people. This man was a shepherd who grew up caring for his father's sheep and serenading mad royalty. Slaying giants and running from his enemies. He spent long hours in solitude, learning the ways of nature and of God. In Psalms 27, he writes, "One thing I ask of the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple."

One thing. Above riches and fame and success.

Everything changes when God becomes your one desire, one love, one vision. He becomes your obsession. As you become captivated by His beauty, it's no longer "gotta get my Bible time in before bed" but rather "how early can I wake up to spend time with God?"

However, that's not all. This is what changes everything: God wants you.

Christianity is the only religion in which a sovereign being wants a relationship with human beings. 

Think about that for a second.

 God wants relationship with you.

Treasure

Incase you haven't noticed, I post this photo a lot. I took it several years ago on a walk with my mom in the countryside, and it is one of my all-time favorites. Two of the best things - my mom and a wildflower. What do you hold dear? What do you love, cherish, try to protect and keep? Is it a dream, a treasured item, a person? And what measures would you take to keep it from harm? On my part, I cherish my relationships with the people I love. They have been cultivated carefully and are full of trust, affection, and sincerity. They are more important to me than my material possessions. And like precious items, time increases their value. My relationships with people have brought me comfort in hard times, helped me to grow, and given me opportunities to give of myself as well. Without these people I would not be where I am now. 

What do you cherish?

Some Thoughts

   When we were children we believed we could do anything. We were bold and fearless without worrying about consequences. Our days were spent in childish oblivion, no worries or concerns beyond what we would eat for lunch or whether we would get the newest toy. But something happened when we started growing up. We began to see that the world is not sugar-coated or at all like our make-believe stories. We began to realize that things don't happen "happily ever after". We lost our fairy wings. We put away our dress-up outfits. Sometimes, I think we stopped believing. But even though the world is a sorrowful place with pain and deceit and hate, there is also redemption. What is saddest of all is when we lose our ability to imagine, to see beyond the status quo. When we stop viewing the world in color. When we stop dreaming. So take time to notice beautiful things. Slow down the pace of life and realize what a miracle it is to be.

This morning I helped as a volunteer coordinator at the Special Olympics locally. It was one of the most rewarding experiences ever. And I have to say, I fell in love with every single person I worked with. Their minds and hearts carry something we can learn from. I want to understand what it means to give without expecting a return. I want to be full of life and full of love. 

"Meaning is in people, not things." What a simple truth. These are the wise words of my nursing instructor that she said in class one day and I've been processing ever since. It reminds me of the Mumford & Sons lyrics, "Where you invest your love, you invest your life." 

Choose to invest in people. Choose to see others through the eyes of compassion and love. Sometimes it takes a simple, childlike person to remind us that a smile wears better than a designer bag.