DATING JESUS...

Right now, we are in the season of Lent. The days of preparation and reflection that lead up to Easter. The days where we focus on how broken this world is, how broken we are, how much we truly need a Savior. But the light at the end of the tunnel is the anticipation of Easter. We know the end of this story. We know that while we were lost in the grime and pain of sin, Jesus came to this world and died upon the cross so that we might overcome the hopelessness of life on our own and be assured of a new and perfect life in His home for all eternity.

Lots of people carry on the tradition of giving somthing up at Lent. A sort of daily reminder of the sacrifice that is coming, of the ultimate sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. The last couple of years, my pastor has recommended ADDING something to your life. DOING something for Jesus, sacrificing your time or your preferences to do something for other people or for yourself.

I like to try to come up with something different every year. No typical sacrifices of cokes or candy over here. While those are all well and good, I try to find something that actually really matters to me, or something that consumes my time or attention in an effort to refocus my life...or something that I think is going to hurt a lot. Why? Because it had to hurt Jesus a lot to die on the cross.

So...the grand question. What should I give up this year? Facebook? Dinners out with friends? Complaining? Movies? What could I add this year? Read my Bible more? Spend time with Jesus DAILY? Start to exercise more regularly? Trust Jesus more?

All of those seemed like reasonable options, but didn't seem right. Well, on Ash Wednesday, I had a little bit of an emotional upset as I cried over the boys (or lack there of) in my life. And it hit me. "GIVE UP BOYS. GIVE UP DATING."

What? Did I hear you right, Lord? Why would I do that? I don't even have anyone TO give up! That's the problem!! And I'm so tired of waiting for someone to arrive finally, why would I risk passing up an opportunity for this person to be "THE ONE"?

But as I had this internal argument with my Lord, I realized the rightness of the decision. Thoughts about guys, worrying about finding the one, getting impatient that he's not already here...I waste a lot of emotional energy and I doubt God a LOT in this area. So, ironically, maybe He would appreciate that I give up only the POTENTIAL this year. And in the past week or two, this sacrifice is continuing to evolve.

It now consists of this:
1) No dating until Easter. No dwelling on any specific guy except my main man, Jesus.
2) No stressing about dating until Easter. No complaining about the lack of someone to give up. No getting mad at God that He refuses to play by my playbook.
3) Actively dating Jesus. Spending time with Him like I would if I were dating and getting to know a real life 'in the flesh' person right now.

We shall see where it takes me. Hopefully more in love with Jesus and less in turmoil over my need to run my life as I see best...

May it be so, Lord Jesus.

REAL...

Finally. The first post. It is so hard to decide the first, most important words when you begin to open your heart... But here goes...

My sister got married yesterday. MARRIED. I was there. I helped plan the ceremony and reception for the last 6 months. I bought my dress, helped her buy her dress, saw her wear her ring every day. But still it didn't feel REAL. Yesterday, we got our hair done, we got dressed, I watched her at the front of the church, I heard the pastor's words. But it didn't feel REAL. I went to the party, I ate, I danced, I gave a speech. But it still doesn't feel REAL. She doesn't seem any different. And yet it seems like she is completely different. I feel like she is the same, but forever changed. When something this huge happens, shouldn't you be able to see it? Shouldn't she look different or talk different? Suddenly turn purple. Something big to reflect the enormity of what happened.

Isn't this true of all of us?