One Life to Love

So...one lesson I've been learning a lot lately is that life is short. As you know, I am workaholic and a perfectionist to boot -- it's SO easy for me to get consumed by making sure every little detail is not only perfect but above and beyond expectations. This translates into doing intense amounts of extra credit homework, doing double assignments, studying and restudying obsessively...you get the idea. And while that's all well and fine, I'm finally starting to learn that there's more to life than striving for perfection.

When I get to Heaven, and Jesus asks me what I've done to further His kingdom, do I really want to be saying, "Well...um...well I DID get all 100's while I was in school! Perfect A's, every single year! And check out all the extra credit points I racked up!" Somehow...I don't He'll be that impressed.

My goal this year has been to shift my focus to the things that really matter in life. Don't worry -- I'm not saying school isn't important. I know that God wants me to work hard and get an education, because He's going to use that to His glory in whatever situations He places me in later on. I'm going to need that. (So even when Algebra seems pointless, I remind myself that somehow, this WILL glorify God, in the end...!). What I AM saying, though, is that priorities are important. I'm learning that sometimes, you have to skip a class to go vist your amazing youth leader Amy, who needs a lift. You might need to skip the extra credit homework assignment because your friend has just called you, sobbing. You might need to give up studying that chapter for the 13th time because your brother's club needs extra volunteers at a bake sale. Life is about loving; above all, we are to glorify God and spread His Word and His Love to all whose lives we can touch.

I'm learning that being so wrapped up in my own goals is selfish. I'm learning that I don't need to worry about the "what ifs" because if I'm following God's will, I know it's all gonna be OK. I'm learning that this is our one chance to spread the joy and life is too short to squander it on things that won't matter.

Will my SAT scores matter 10 years from now? Heck no. Will the fact that I was there to help my best friend out when she needed me matter? Oh, yeah. You bet it will!

When I get to Heaven, will God give a hoot about all the study hours I put in? Maybe. Maybe not. Will He be more concerned with the time I spent serving others, loving others and leading others to Him? Oh yeah, baby.

This song has been influencing my thoughts a lot lately, too.

Staples: A Microcosm of Divine Intention

(Many thanks to James and Marcus for their cunning and brilliance in thinking up the title of this post)

(Click here to learn the definition of "microcosm"!)

So, last night I got to go to one of my favorite stores in the entire UNIVERSE...Staples. The world's greatest and most awesomely named office supply store. Unlike most of my peers, who would rather shop for clothes or shoes or purses or silly, trivial things like that :), I am much more at home among the aisles of pens and papers and boxes and post-its and of course, Sharpies.

I love the smell of Staples...it's like the lovely old-bookish smell of a library mixed in with the smell of ink and new sneakers and... potential. The place is full of potential, I tell you!

It's a writer's dream come true.

Rows and rows of blank tablets and notebooks just waiting to be filled words and thoughts and stories... a million pens and pencils and markers and highlighters practically wiggling with anticipation...comfy dest chairs and fun-shaped post-it notes and sparkly stickers and and and...*sighs dreamily* oh, I absolutely adore it!!

I could spend hours just wandering through the aisles..in fact, that's what I did last night...just thinking and planning. I really love the whole feeling of Staples -- like I said, potential. Imagination. Creativity. Newness. Readiness.

All those little writing utensils and rolls of tape and boxes of staples and computers are all there, just ready and waiting..anticipating the moment when they will be lifted off the shelf and taken home to their new family and....!!! (Ok...this is starting to sound an awful lot like the Corduroy books I was reading at preschool today....!!)...anyway, the point is, they are ready and waiting to be used; to serve, if you will.

But they're not doing anyone much good by just sitting on that shelf, looking pretty and clean and new, are they? In fact, they can't live out their true purpose...to write, to type, to tape, to draw, to staple, to stick, etc -- if they just sit on the shelf and wait. By themselves, they are nothing...I mean, yeah. They look fun and nice. And everyone can imagine their potential. But to really do anything worthwhile....

They need a Creator - someone who knows their purpose and how to best use them all together produce the most desirable result; who will use them to make something amazing.

See where I'm going with this? Imagine yourself as something in the Staples store. I myself would probably be a lime green mini Sharpie, simply because I'm bold and obnoxious and hard to get rid off once I make my mark :)....but the point is, whether you're a stapler or a roll of duct tape or a desk chair or a bulletin board or some bubble wrap -- you can't do anything by yourself. You need to submit to a Creator -- One who knows all about you; how you work, where your skills are and how to help you do what you do best. You need to allow the Creator to use you in His plan -- and by doing so, you will contribute to the beauty of the whole project; to CREATE with you.

Aren't we blessed to have the most Amazing Creator? He knows exactly what our individual gifts and talents are. He knows how to "use" us so that we can all do something different -- stapling, gluing, stickering, etc -- to achieve one grand, incredible result.

We just have to let Him use us -- and the results will be magnificent.

The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. --Isaiah 40:28

..And we know that all things work together for good; for those who love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. --Romans 8:28

Yeah, so, this was kind of a corny post...
Maybe life isn't really like a pencil...But do you get the point? (hee hee)
Even if you're not like a roll of duct tape, maybe this idea will still stick (haha)...