self propelled upgrade...continued...

for those of you pining to know, it was indeed our Katie bug whom gave herself the upgrade (is that the correct placement of "whom" uncle tom, before the verb?). lindsey s. was the first to guess the correct answer (to guess at all really).. therefore, she wins a private skype date with katie, where katie can ask lindsey endless questions ;)

i was thinking about self propelled upgrades this weekend, and it dawned upon we that we do this same exact thing in our spiritual lives.. hear me out.

sometimes, while most would never admit it, these are the following conversations, that in whole or in part, we have with God;

"hey God, here are our challenges for the week, let's divide them up and conquer. i can take the following burdens and worries concerning my children because I am doing really well with those lately. everyone is healthy and seemingly stable, so i've got that covered. moving on, how about you take the big dogs? the really big areas; finances, struggling relationships, world peace, the destruction of the EPA, just to name a few.  i am willing to give you those.  also, programming note, i would like to take back the areas concerning my husband, you seem to be moving a little bit too slowly and i would like to see if i can speed things up. maybe manipulate the situation a little to get the exact outcome i want without having to, you know, be patient. in addition, could you maybe transfer that really annoying couple from across the street to somewhere like, alaska?  i really appreciate these little meetings we have. i always feel so much better after i dump and run from our little convos.  i love being able to simply profit from this relationship. i like the warm fuzzies, i like the idea of being spiritual, i like to think that i can have my cake and eat it too! i don't really have to surrender my WHOLE life just some of it. i like to keep a little bit of control. well, because i am a woman, and we like control, we were just made that way. i like that i can dabble a little over here and a little over here and make this perfect concoction of what i think You should be. it suits me when i get to give myself a spiritual, self- propelled upgrade. "

over the weekend i heard my husband read a loud Isaiah 6 several times. it changed me. we often times tend to minimize our great God and put Him into this perfect, little, box with a bow on it. Our God will not be mocked by our luke warm commitment and religious sentiments. He doesn't want to divide and conquer.... He wants to REIGN in every area of our lives. He doesn't just want to trouble shoot the rough patches in our lives, He wants ALL OF US; every celebration, every valley, every misstep, every pain, every heart ache, every joy,....all of us, unhindered. He is a jealous God. He is Majestic. He sustains the world and all that is in it. There is none like Him, nor will there ever be. there is nothing to compare Him with. No one can even survive the very glimpse of His abounding power and glory. one day, no matter your preference, your good works, your best efforts, your best concoctions of who you think God should be, your disbelief in Him, your disdain for Him, or for someone who claimed to follow Him,  one day.... ONE DAY... "every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus (MY JESUS) is Lord!"

it is by this, for this, and through this, that we have LIFE!
~s