The Consuming Life part six

Does my followship of Jesus invite, require, evoke life giving? What does that mean? Can I really serve without ulterior motive, help only to become more like Jesus who loved and gave because he cared? Sometimes the vision of who you are Jesus just gets lost, like the bright sun on a hazy or cloudy day. I know you are there. I can feel your warmth still. My attention wanders and the rest of me benignly follows. Before long my navigational skills are worthless, I have lost my bearings. Like adrift on the open sea subject to unforseen weather, circumstance drives my heading. Its your committed love, hesed is the Hebrew, steadfast faithfulness that alone can refocus me, that can lead me and keep me enlivened on your path.

Lord capture me again today with a vision of you. My friend Greg reminded me this morning "I love him because he first loved me." He asked, do you remember when you first found about girls? I mean you always knew about them, but then one day you heard some girl liked you? Well now, look at me. Somebody likes, me thinks I am cool, maybe even good looking! Greg reminded me, "That’s what God’s love is like." Now I see it. Look at who I am, look at who God is. I am loved and I love!

Just the other day one of the single lady pastors was on the way to the same meeting I was. Unbeknown to either of us she wound up in the car behind me, she in her mini van, I in my recently washed convertible. Finally she follow into the church parking lot. On our way in she commented that she didn’t realize it was me ahead of her for a few blocks and for my encouragement shared that she had thought when she first noticed my car and the back of my head; "There’s a good looking guy in a good looking car. Thought you’d like to know what women are thinking." Duh, Yes that is great to hear. I tried to keep my head from swelling but seeing my reflection as we passed a large window made the struggle quite effortless and I just tried to receive and keep the positive thought from fading too fast. And indeed to know someone approved of me lifted my confidence and spirit.

Then we went into the meeting. It had been catered, Baja Fresh all laid out. As we lined up to select our portions this same fine lady comments; "Wow there is a look of good looking food in here today! Everything looks great." While the food looked fine, somehow the inflating power of her earlier comment to me began to seep away! Oh my gosh, she thinks everything looks good today! She is just hungry!

God re-envision me today. Let me better see you so I better see me. Let me see so I follow your path and live more true and free today. I offer a hymn line as my prayer today.

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,Seal it for Thy courts above.

Check out Sufjan Stevens as he plays "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing." (Youtube)