Learning Along The Way

Return to Me

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I love this quote, this card.  It was given to me by a dear young friend who graciously said this “had my name on it”.

She sees me this way.  An honest person.

This season of Lent I am being confronted by my lack of honesty.

I face the easier things to confess and change and turn a blind eye to the deeper issues of my heart.

This early morning I saw a plea for me to get honest.  All the Way.

See if you can see it too:

“Yet even now, ” declares the Lord, “Return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning; and rend your heart and not your garments.”

I rend my garments when I make external changes that I see need to be made: changing my habits ‘to be healthier’, reading more, writing more, making time to be with people.

I do these things.

I.

Yet…

“even now, Return to Me with ALL YOUR HEART.”

With actions that demonstrate to Him my sincerity, my willingness to be humble and accept that I believe the lie that I am in charge of my life.

It’s not important what others think about me.  It’s important what God thinks about me.

“rend your heart and not your garments.”

Inward change is not my work.  My work is calling it like it is.

“Now return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and relenting of evil.”

This is what I receive in return for admitting what is and agreeing with God about it all. Not a bad exchange, eh?

Return to Me.

He’s calling you too…

Inventory

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Have you ever taken a personal inventory?  You know, asking yourself honest, hard questions like where am I in this area of my life?

I am taking part in an online book study of Kim Avery’s book Uniquely You and Day 3 is all about taking inventory.  In 8 areas of life we’re to honestly evaluate on a 1 – 10 scale: physical, career/ministry, financial, health, fun & recreation, personal growth, spiritual growth and relationship/marriage.  I’d say that just about covers it.

As you can see my page is blank.

I have to confess, I gloss over things that I don’t like.

But I am in the season of confession and the idea of coming clean is kind of appealing.

Day 3 of Lent and Day 3 of this book study are melding into one big baring of my soul on paper.

I need prayer.

I am generally an honest person. Generally.  If I don’t have something nice to say I try not to say anything at all.  The Thumper Rule. (Bambi anyone?)

But generally is not good enough before God.  One dishonest, glossed over point is still something that needs changing.  It’s still sin in the eyes of a Holy God.

Oh how obvious it is to me how much I need Jesus!

I am pretty sure that awareness is part of the focus of Lent.  Being honest in taking inventory and seeing how far I am from Christlikeness and how much I need my Savior.

Result? You might think guilt.

But interestingly for me it’s freedom.  Coming clean is becoming clean.  *sigh*

SO good!  Join me?

Follow Me…

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