Wednesday, November 30, 2011

what I learned today

I haven't written for a while...it's funny how I get busy and stop writing, even though that's when I need to write the most.  I've talked before about how much getting details 'out' helps.  So I am trying to get up just a little early to write more purposefully.  (I'm a big-time night owl, so we will see...)

I slept little last night.  Even though our son's wedding reception is out of my head it's still way too full of details concerning Christmas and other things I dream of doing...so I gave up and got up, even though my day will be a long one.

Now snuggled on my couch beside my Christmas tree with Kenny G quietly playing Christmas tunes in the background - I started the day by reading 3 John.  Beth Moore asks, "if one sentence were written about your life, what would it be?"  Not what I had hoped to be confronted with first thing this morning.

In 3 John he writes about a guy named Diotrephes, and about the fact that 'he liked to be first and excludes others'.  Can you imagine if your name was written in a letter as Dotrephes was, and this letter ended up being read by millions and millions of people?  I find that terrifying!  Looking back on my last few weeks, I have been very edgy and found myself in a somewhat ugly place.  I don't usually need encouragement, but I realized yesterday I've been searching for some.  It really looked ugly when a friend was talking about some accomplishment they had done and I blurted out some ridiculous sounding accomplishment of my own.  OH MY WORD!!  Talk about pathetic! I should have been celebrating with them, but instead looked for appreciation for something I had a part in.   I confessed this arrogance to the Lord and asked Him to remove that attitude immediately. In that moment my life sentence would have read, "she was very busy working and drew her satisfaction in recognition that she received from others."  UGLY!

Beth Moore goes on to say in this study that she is so thankful that as long as we 'are kicking' we have the privilege of changing our testimony.  So as I pray my way into another God given day, my prayer will be that my testimony glorifies the King of Kings and that I won't exclude others.

Here is a challenge for all of us this week - let's all very purposefully write our testimony sentence each day this week.  We can join together to live each day as if we actually believe in His promises, instead of worrying about everything and rushing around with insignificant details.  We will live as if today was the only day we have to 'write our life sentence'.  Can you imagine how life changing that could be?

I want my life sentence to say, "She lived and loved as if she believed with all of her heart that she was the daughter of the almighty King, not in her own power or in her own interest, but in His."

Abide in Him and re-write the sentence of your life.

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