Baking cookies, wearing a colonial red print apron and a skirt with black tights and heals, curled hair pulled back, and smelling of viva la juicy perfume- this in description is an image of myself at this moment.
Today, I was considering the amount of time I (along with a large percentage of the population) spend on "image." Certainly, the obvious- physical appearance- from working out to countless hours of shopping to touching up hair so it is just right. But I find myself caring about appearance in other ways as well. Many hours of my life is devoted to studying topics my friends enjoy so I can join in "intellectual conversation," working on schoolwork to points where I do not sleep at night just to receive grades that impress teachers, taking a job I know I will dislike for the purpose of an excellent resume, and, oh, so many more little things I do throughout the day just so I feel "apart."
On the other side of the fence, I watch my sister, Grace. The majority of the day she spends in her pajamas, with her hair tangled, and big fuzzy socks that never match. Grace could not care less about others' wishes for conversation; she simply desires to discuss what she sees as important. Grace is intelligent, but in no way will work herself to the point where she doesnt sleep for the sake of an A+ in her studies. Grace has a job to earn some extra cash, but if she really hated it, she would not continue; excellent credencials for a resume mean little to her.
Where does she spend her time?--- in God's Word and in prayer. On a daily basis, I will bump into her in some unexpected corner of our house on her knees, hands folded, praying earnestly to our Father. In the morning, as I am getting ready for the day by blow drying my hair, she is preparing for the day by crying out to God for aid. As I study with diligence the structure of the zygomatic bone, she is pouring over Scripture.
God has called us to live a life entirely set apart for His use. We are blessed to be called His clay as He is the Potter, but how often do we try to shape ourselves?
I am lost for words as I try to end this post. I would like to say that I will change- that I would no longer care about my trivial desires- but I know better. I could say we should all be like Grace- but I know she would say otherwise.
So I shall close with this thought. I am not the person I should be. I spend far too much of my concern upon myself- truly what a selfish being I am. ... Yet when I look at the life of Christ, seeing that He came down from His glory to save a wrech such as I, only then does my heart begin to change. The Most Glorious, the Most Wonderous- the Greatest Appearance of all made Himself nothing. What a great God we serve!
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace."
