I smell like goodwill

I'm a new slave, yes, my name has been changed

I am yours

I kid you not, I have started this post a million times and deleted it each and every time.  I want to clearly portray what the Lord has taught me and is teaching me because it has been so refreshing and freeing. Here is the truth that has finally found fertile soil and taken root in a new way: 

I was created to serve. To serve until I am tired and then do it all over again. 

There are several people in our church who are adopting. As exciting as this process can be, it can also be taxing in many ways. It takes quite a bit of money to adopt and in case you didn't know...money doesn't grow on trees. I'm a little disappointed by this fact but it is what it is. 

To make a long story short, Josh and Wendi (a phenomenal couple from our church) had a garage sale to raise a little monties. They had a ton of stuff to get rid of! I've never seen so much junk in my life. Needless to say, The Lord was gracious in providing plenty of things to sell. 

I know I'm not speeding this story up at all. Let's try this again. Helping load, unload, sort through, hang up, sell, bargain, and get rid of all this stuff was tiring. I think we all walked away exhausted and smelling like mothballs and goodwill. My eyes were opened to these truths in the midst of lots of laughter, playing with a motorized chair, and selling goodies. 

Crazy thing is, it was a good kind of tired. It was rejuvenating and energizing. It was a sweet place of resting in The Lord. This life wasn't meant to live alone. We were created to live in community with others. To die to our flesh and consider others better than ourselves. For the glory of his name. All of this under the grace and work of Christ. 

I remember telling Jen and KB how shocked I was that we weren't tired of each other after spending so much time together. I also remember telling them that I would gladly do it all day, everyday if I could. You see, this is the community of believers I have been graced with. We waste ourselves on loving others/each other because of the love Christ has poured on us. I want to be exhausted and spent at the end of the day. I want to be wrung out.

It's a painful process dying to my flesh and putting others before me. But the life I find in following Christ's example and putting others first is more satisfying than I ever imagined. 

long time no see

I'm pretty sure I have deleted this post about five or six times now. I haven't been on here in several years and the thought of attempting to blog again is rather daunting. I want it to be grammatically correct, encouraging, inspiring, witty, and Christ centered all at the same time. Is that too much to ask? It's a tough world we live in. This is an appropriate time to use a hash tag: #firstworldprobs

I have some friends who like to blog and I thought it would be fun to go back and read my older posts. And by fun I mean get the nervous sweats as if I was getting pulled over by a police officer #peoplepleaser. See what I did with that hash tag? So I dig up my old posts and read through them and....it wasn't that bad. I didn't have this life changing revelation from reading them but The Lord was so sweet to remind me of a few things. 

He is constantly at work in my life for the good of my heart and the glory of his name. I am not the same person I was a few years ago and I can't be more thankful. Sanctification is a hard, gut wrenching process that is painful and brings more tears than I have headbands. But oddly enough it is a place I find rest. A place I revel in the goodness and mercy of The Lord and sit under the canopy of grace by the blood of Jesus. 

A few years have passed and things have changed but my calling is the same. I am to know Christ and make him known. To tell of his works from one generation to the next. To die to self and serve as Christ served others. To seek his face relentlessly and rest in the gospel and show others this rest we have in Jesus. 

My memory is pretty terrible. In fact, that's half of the reason I'm attempting to blog again.  I want to remember things that happen in my life. From big events to small details that make life so sweet...I want to remember to grace that has been lavished on me.