warped

Studying Philippians 2 is an amazing experience. Jesus is the perfect example of humility (and everything else) and I am as always floored by him. I find it strangely disheartening when I look around the world at myself and my peers and see how far we have fallen from His example. We like expensive cars, and flashy things. We want the newest computers, televisions, phones, etc. We want so many things and yet there are people in need and we walk past them. We chastise. We judge, but we are the ones who are falling short. Our world has a warped image of what makes someone happy. When I look back on this year and think of the moments I was just indescribably happy very few of them involve material things and I think that if we all sat back and thought about it we could generally say the same because God has given us so much more than we deserve and the materialistic aspects are baby blips on the radar. Yes, it is nice to be able to listen to my ipod or type this blog on my computer. I am thankful that I have a car that can take me from place to place and a television on which I can watch ridiculous shows and stay up far too late laughing with friends, but I would trade it all to lie on an airfield and watch the stars and moon drift in and out of the clouds. I would swap it all for a meaningful conversation where I lost track of time, and left feeling so much closer to another individual. What truly matters in this world is the connections that we forge with others, with nature, and most importantly with God. Doing all the we can to bring glory and honor to his name. Helping those less fortunate than us, and loving them as if they were greater than we were...because they are. We are nothing, but a speck in the universe. We are important in the eyes of our savior. We are ALL important in his eyes. If only one of us existed and that person was the most loathsome git you've ever met...Jesus would have still died for him. It puts the world in perspective to think that, but it is true. Everyone we meet is important.

Father, I thank you for humbling me. 

I thank you for dying for my sins. I thank you for grace. I thank you for all that you have done and are doing inside of me. Every day I am stronger in your love and every day I die more to myself and come more alive in you! You bless me far more than I could ever begin to thank so I give you my life as my living sacrifice and continue to ask that you use me as you would. Shape me into the person you want. Lead me where you want me to go. I know that it will be an adventure greater than all that I have seen thus far and all that I could plan myself. Thank you for my friends, Father. You use them in such fantastic ways. Allowing me to learn and grow. Please use me as a light to my friends who do not know you. I stumble often, but please keep me strong that I might show only your goodness to them. Give me the wisdom to talk of you. Particularly on Tuesday as I share your glorious message of humility with this awesome group of people you have placed in my life. I cannot believe it has only been a year since I moved back to this town. My life has changed completely. Thank you thank you thank you. Remind me every day that it is not to me, Father. Not to me, but to YOUR name be the glory in all that I do because you alone are God. You alone are worthy.

Amen.

(fell in love with this song today!)