I usually use the hour (or so) vanpool drive in the mornings to plan what I will blog about. This morning I had absolutely NOTHING, so I was looking at all of the billboards along the road, hoping for some inspiration. I was literally bombarded with advertisements for plastic surgery, weight loss programs, new or used cars, air travel of all sorts (Atlanta is a hub for Delta and AirTran), and of course, food of all kinds. And as I was looking at all of these that were trying to get my attention - I noticed the sunrise in the east. The clouds were delicately painted in various shades of lavender and pink and coral. The sky lightened to a beautiful blue. And the effect was totally peaceful. I quit worrying about what I was going to write, and just appreciated the beautiful morning God had given me.
That's when it hit me - our society as a whole, AND we as individuals, spend SO MUCH TIME thinking about things that really and truly do not matter at all. We're obsessed with youth - or at least with looking youthful. We spend billions and trillions of dollars trying to lose weight - to get rid of wrinkles and fine lines - to pretend that we aren't aging by covering up the gray. And we spend very little time thinking about what God wants us to be. He doesn't want us to be young - He wants us to be loving. He doesn't want us to be thin - He wants us to be kind. He doesn't want us to be pretty - He wants us to be forgiving.
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." (I Corinthians 13:4-8a)
When I quit looking and listening to what the world is literally screaming at me - and focus on God - I am always happier. And filled with peace, and joy, and purpose.
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