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All We Are, God Is Not

I had great plans for the weekend, looking forward to spending all day at the beach.  I couldn't wait to feel the sand in my toes, taste the salty breeze and brace myself for the cold but refreshing ocean waves.  But my plans didn't work out, at least not for this weekend.  I have had those kind of days, making plans but having them unfulfilled. One of which was trying to do the good thing of donating blood, only to arrive at the station and finding out that "everyone left, and they were shutting it all down."  But wait a second, I had an appointment?  Whatever . . .  I could have done my yoga class after all!  Then I was looking forward to dinner with my girlfriends, but one got sick unexpectedly and plans changed again.  Maybe that's why I felt discombobulated as I started out my week, maybe that's what fed into my sense of feeling blah and stuck in "the same old same old."

I opened her letter with anticipation, expecting to read about her latest mission trip.  But I was captured by her handwriting at the bottom, "when are you going to come with me, Mary?"  I really need to actually do a medical missions trip overseas, and Judy is the one to go with since she too is a Nurse Practitioner.  I was somewhat taken back as I read the facts of the country that she was traveling to in a few weeks.  The average life expectancy in Ghana is 56 years of age . . . wow, if I grew up in Ghana I would be in my last year of life.  I must admit, I am so not ready to be devoid of life . . . can that really be a fact, Lord, in this modern time of 2013?

As much as I toil and spin, I love living.  Sure there are times of frustration and discouragement, but waking up and realizing I have one more day to take in life is a blessing.  Jesus was trying to make that point as He told his stories to the crowd. Live as salt and light in the world.  You are not the cure or answer to the evils and sorrows of life, but you are the influence in doing good and being moral.  Don't lose your tang as  salt!  Be a savory taste to those around you, so that they want to be with you even more.  Being a light is not about drawing attention to yourself, but rather shining in such a way that others are able to see truth and goodness. 

All we are, God is not. . . I focused on that thought as I went through my yoga postures at class.  I seemed to breathe better and found strength in positions I had not been sure of before.  All my self doubt, my imperfection, God is not.  All my "blahness" and moody depressive moments, God is not.  All my finite mindfulness and prejudice, God is not.  So if  I have the capacity to do good and bring about a positive change in myself and to those around me, how much more can a completely good, constantly caring and loving God do?

 Maybe that's why I so enjoyed the surprising summer rain.  I picked a spot and laid under the umbrella of a tree.  Closing my eyes, I listened to the steady pattern of drops and breathed in the delicious scent of fresh water from the sky.  Smiling, I thanked God for giving me the capacity to take in His blessing one more day. . . that all I am, He is not.

"But if God so arrays the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more do so for you, O men of little faith?" 
 (Matthew 6:30)



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