"Oh Ms. Briz! A sparkly!!"
So says one of my favorite characters -- one in whom I see quite a lot of myself -- in one of my favorite children's movies called, The Secret of NIMH. I'm so much like Jeremy the bird; so attracted to sparkly, shiny, new things! I've not always been on top of the trends, but I've always loved having something new and sparkly to play with. I stole silver dollars from my sister's drawer as a child, but as an adult I've learned to pay for all my shinys myself. However, that can cause another issue -- which we will discuss at another time.
Lately I've been eying all things Apple. I've drooled over the new iPads for--- well, since they were announced! AND I just bought myself a shiny new iPhone4.... which won't be delivered until after July 14th.
Can I tell you how much that kills a sparkly lover like me!
Target is the worst place in the world for me. It's like a candy store to a hungry kid. All this great shiny stuff, and at a discounted rate. I see something and say to myself, 'oh I need this, and it's only ten dollars,' over and over till my cart is full. Then I wonder why my bill is over a hundred dollars!
It's amazing how easily I am distracted by sparkly things; by things that look wonderful on the outside, but truthfully have no real substance on the inside. I never seem to remember that these things don't satisfy me when I'm caught up in the scintillating rush of excitement of possibly owning something that dazzling.
But satisfy me they do not. And soon they are cast aside with all the other aging sparklies to lay in a pile in my closet, or in a drawer somewhere. Never used again. Eventually I'll come across it during some cleaning binge and wonder what in the world I was thinking when I bought that??
I'm realizing more and more how spiritually immature I am. My mind is more often on me and my problems -- my needs and wants and desires, all the sparklys and shiny new things -- rather than on God and bringing HIm glory. More on talking about myself than talking about Him -- even when I'm talking to Him. More about getting for me, rather than giving of me so that someone else can see Him.
Too often I forget the mercy and grace He lavishes on me every day. I don't thank Him for my life, for another day to live for Him each morning. I forget so quickly that He doesn't have to have grace and mercy on me. I forget that He is being patient and kind and generous with all of us in holding back His judgment so that everyone has ample chance to turn to Him.
Too often I forget that someday soon the streets will run red with the blood of those who rebelled against Him, who took His grace and mercy and kindness and patience for granted, assuming that it would always be offered. I forget that some day His judgment will finally be poured out in full on this earth. Some of those rebels are people I love! Like them, too often I assume His mercy will never end, His judgment will never be poured out.
Oh, Jesus, help me remember all these things every day! Get up in my face and remind me that time is short! That sparklys don't satisfy, only YOU can satisfy me! Remind me daily I was created to bring You GLORY! And that this is the greatest thing I could ever do on this earth, iPhone or no, to bring You glory!
God, teach me lessons for livingso I can stay the course.
Give me insight so I can do what you tell me—
my whole life one long, obedient response.
Guide me down the road of your commandments;
I love traveling this freeway!
Give me a bent for your words of wisdom,
and not for piling up loot.
Divert my eyes from toys and trinkets,
invigorate me on the pilgrim way.
(Psalm 119:36-37, The Message)
Well, yes, we're all a bit like crows and raccoons. We like shiny stuff. Pretty much by nature... and then society pounds on it until we bellieve we HAVE TO HAVE THIS THING OR I'LL DIE!!!!
Jesus said he came to set the captive free. He's probably the only free man the world has ever seen, and he wants to teach us to be free too. Freedom is, however, very difficult to pull off, not only because society fights against it but because it's terrifying. At least to me.
It's a daily struggle. Hold my head up and believe Jesus' promise of freedom? I don't even understand freedom! So, he has to show me what it is, and when I get a good look my knees quake. Life without boundaries.
It doesn't matter who sets the boundaries: family, society, church. If they don't fit they're a problem, and most boundaries are set for the convenience of the person setting them, not the peace and contentment of the bound. Nice euphemisms like "Homeland Security" disguise the intent of reduced freedom.
How to learn freedom? Walk with Jesus. Keep taking the steps. Eventually the path leads away from guilt, although churches are really good at heaping on the guilt. It takes time to grow, especially in the stony soil of the world we inhabit. Effort spent beating yourself up over trinket-fascination is effort that could go into exploring freedom.
I am glad to see your post. Glad to know you're still with us and asking questions. Even if a step is only an inch, God is pleased, I've learned. The only way to lose the way is to quit.
And take of this what fits. The data points are scarce, so I might be overreacting. If so, please forgive me. I just think that freedom is important.
Posted by: Larry | July 04, 2010 at 10:27 PM