I have fond memories of my Grandaddy. Actually, they are beyond just merely fond, they are literally heartwarming and can, in an instant, bring the sweetest of smiles to my face. He loved me, but not in the typical he has to because I'm related to him way. He LOVED me in a doted upon me, hid money in the couch cushions just so I could find it, ate dinner with a one year old in his lap just because she wanted to be there way. He died when I was in Jr. High after suffering from dementia for a couple years and a little part of my heart still hasn't healed from that loss, not only the loss of his life, but of the relationship that that disease can rob from us even when physical presence is still intact.
The memories I cherish the most are the ones where we were just outside sitting and he, in some way, shared his life with me. Whether funny comments, stories of his childhood, playing rock school on the front steps, or lessons on how to flip a pocket knife and get it to stand straight up on a picnic table, he invested in me with time and words.
Recently, while listening to a new podcast--and pretending that I am so on trend saying that instead of admitting that I am really late to the party--there were more words shared from a wise soul that took me beyond just wanting to sit and rock next to her on the porch while I soaked them in, to literally grabbing a notebook--or keep app in this case--in an attempt to write down all the things. The heart of the message shining through for me was the beauty of being yourself and as a person who has struggled with seeing herself as less when others seem more it was perfect, and possibly life changing.
We each have qualities we admire in others. Seeing from a distance a mother who is patiently dealing with a temper fueled toddler, a teacher who can go with the flow of a class full while keeping positivity, or a coach or athlete who keeps his cool and encourages calmly instead of belittling are just a few of the ways the world can see a heart of love behind actions and give us mentors to speak into our lives ways we can grow and change.
But, when we, living in this fallen world like we are, are tempted to look at another and not just see what qualities we admire in them but begin to Envy them instead we are, in that moment, making the situation about us getting elevated instead of God getting glorified.
In her interview, Sally Lloyd Jones commented that we judge our stories halfway through our stories, but we have to wait because it is only at the end where we can start seeing the pattern of what is being done.
This can also be taken a step further. As we judge our stories halfway through, we are often judging everyone else's as well and as we view them from the outside our opinion is tainted all the more as we have no way of knowing the hardships, knowledge, and heart change that have built them up to now. There's a reason teachers tell you to keep your eyes on your own paper. Your life is God's work on you, not another.
It is in these times where Paul's words are not only encouraging, but help streamline focus. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of another (Romans 12:4-5)
In Corinthians he spells it out even more clearly for those in the "please speak to me like I'm a 5 year old" group--my hand is raised here people. If the foot should say, "because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, "because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, how could we hear? If the whole body were an ear, how could we smell?...
"We on our own have a hierarchy of what is worthy and what isn't. God does not have that. He sees each of us as what He created us to be and if we are filling that role it is beautiful and helps bring order to the chaos which is this fallen world." ~Sally Lloyd Jones
Beauty in the chaos. He makes the broken things beautiful.
C.S. Lewis says, "even in literature and art, no many who bothers about originality will ever be original; whereas if you simply try to tell the truth, without care twopence how often it has been told, you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it."
We are each fearfully and wonderfully made specifically crafted in the biggest story before it was even set into motion and our part in it can not be performed by another. In the wise words of Ernest T. Bass, it's "all mine, nobody elsies.
The most eye opening, stopping in my tracks, filling my heart part of Sally Lloyd Jones' interview came because of this simple yet, profound statement, "we spend more time comparing ourselves to other people than valuing what comes easy to us. We think because it comes easy to us then it must not be worthwhile, but the reason it comes easy to us is because God has gifted us with the ability to do it."
God has given each of you[us] a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 1 Peter 4:10
As said earlier, when we envy we making the situation about us getting elevated instead of God getting glorified. When we are focused on honoring God instead we can't help but do it with those gifts we have been given.
Howard Thurman wrote, "Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." There is no better One to listen to in this regard, than the person who in the beginning gave you Life.
Don't ever let yourself forget that Jesus has purchased a future for you that is better than anything you could have dreamed or planned for yourself.
More than anything this week, and beyond, I am praying that you can see the beauty in just being the you you were created to be and the need for more of that in the Kingdom, pray for me.
No comments:
Post a Comment