Staying Empty and Drifting with God

Sept 20 – Unique to the Core

Hmm…After doing some additional research, apparently the difference between “pottery” and “ceramics” is not so distinct as the author today may make it seem.  However, her points are well taken – indeed, like handmade pots, no two people created by God are alike, even as much as they may look alike from the outside.

What is the purpose of a pot?  There’s pretty much only one practical use as far as I can tell – to hold something.  What if a potter made something that looked like a pot but was actually solid through and through, more like a vase-shaped sculpture?  Wouldn’t that defeat the purpose?  We are those empty pots.  God created us with space inside our hearts to be filled by him.  Jesus speaks to a woman at a well about His ability to provide her with living water, water that won’t run out (John 4:10-14).  Unfortunately, what happens so often is that we try to fill our empty lives with things other than God.  Anything we put in other than Him leaves a residue, thickening the walls of our hearts and eventually shrinking the capacity that we can hold or blocking the opening completely for God to fill us up with the Life that He brings.

So start now!  Much like the “center” conversation we had a few days ago, let God fill up your life and your heart.  Spend time with Him.  Do your best to follow Him and build your relationship with Him.  In time, you will be like David in Psalm 23 who says that his cup overflows!

Sept 21 – A Feather on the Breath of God

Floating on the wind of God – wow.  What an image.  Have you ever been unsure about something significant in your life?  Maybe it was a major test grade or wondering how your life would change after your parents divorced.  Maybe it was a fight with a close friend or moving to a new city.  Depending on where you are in life, you may have had to choose which school you were going to or what path to follow after you graduated.  Those times of uncertainty can leave you upset and wondering where God is.  But I can honestly say from my own experience, especially in the last year and a half, there are few times in life when God has the chance to show Himself as much as He does in those times.  When you’re “a feather on the breath of God,” you could end up anywhere!  God could open any door for you – you might make some new and wonderful friendships or move to a city you didn’t know you could love.  You could discover a new hobby that gets you through a tough time or find a passion you never knew you had. 

As hard as it is to wait and trust God sometimes, enjoy the ride!  You’re not the first to deal with this in-between time.  Psalm 27:14 says “Wait for ther Lord; be strong and take heart and wait on the Lord.”  It is, by far, the most exhilarating way to live and drifting on the wind of God is sure to lead you exactly where He sends you.

A Reminder of Kindness

Sept 12 – The New Kid

I want to go to Europe.  If you’ve known me for very long, you probably know that.  But here’s the thing about Europe that blows my mind – how the heck do you find your way around???  Ok, so you can go to England or Scotland and maybe make it all right but what if you went to France or Italy or Spain?  Or smaller countries with lesser known languages like Poland or The Czech Republic?  Then what?  I don’t know!  But I know I would be dependent upon the kindness of the people there to get me where I needed to go, whether to a train station, an airport, or a bathroom.

You know, in the good ol’ U-S-of-A, we forget pretty easily how difficult it is to be a foreigner in a strange country.  But we see ”foreigners” everyday.  They come from a different country or a different state or a different part of town.  And if you’ve ever gone to a camp where you knew no one or switched to a new school, then you have been a foreigner as well.  Do you remember how it felt?

In the verse for today, God tells us that we are to treat the foreigners among us as though they are citizens – after all, we’ve been foreigners before too, haven’t we?  (*Sidenote:  Certain versions of the Bible use the word “aliens” for this verse – anytime you see that in the Bible, it’s talking about someone living in a country that’s not their own.)  Wherever you are a “regular”, whether that’s at school, some activity like dance or theater, or a coffee shop, make sure to reach out in kindness to the people you know are from somewhere else.  You never know when the kindness might need to be returned – and when you might find a new friend!

*Today shall be a one-entry day.  It’s back to 2 tomorrow!