December 5/2010

S: Ephesisians 5:1
O: Paul writes, "Be imitators of God, as beloved children."
A: When I think of God as my Heavenly Father, I don't necessarily see myself as a young child. I see myself as a (somewhat) capable adult who is mentored and accompanied through life. This verse really challenges the idea of what it means to follow God. When you see a bright, alert, and developing child, you see them mirror, mimic, and imitate those around them. In order to develop their own skills, they copy anything and everything they see. If I look solely to God, and mimic everything I see, know, experience Him to be, where does that leave me? Without the physical presence to mirror, I must look to the provided examples I do have... With those examples, I have the life of Christ, where God blesses his son and witnesses his ministry unfold. Christ lived his life selflessly, firmly challenging those who were in a place of denial, self-absorbsion, etc. He put his foot down and raised up those who would otherwise be down-trodden. He healed the outcasts, dined with the disgusting, and fellowshipped with 'society's scum'. This is what I've been called to imiate. As a beloved child, mimicing his/her parents, so I have been called to mimic God, through the example provided through Christ. What a task!
P: Father, thank you for allowing me to see the similarities of what needs to be done in my own world. Thank you for opening my eyes to the possibilities in my day-to-day world. The opportunity to purchase the stockings for the Thunderbird residents has me very excited and I may just be able to put a new face on Christmas, afterall. :) Thank you, Lord, for giving me such a prime example of what it means to live on this earth-- through your son. I cannot wait to meet him and meet You and celebrate together, the journey that has been undertaken. Thank you for those in my world who have joined this journey and helped my self-development continue. The insight and growth that I have realized is tremendous, and I know it's because you're giving me the issues to work through. THANK YOU for that, even if it is hard, uncomfortable, and unfamiliar. I love you so much, Amen.

Created over 2 years ago