His Iphone is never far from his hand, and he is usually busy typing and running his finger down the screen. The latest in technology for my boy... and he knows how to use it much more easily than his Mama.
I live in fear of being videotaped. Yes, he's part of that generation. He's grown up (ok, he's only ten... but I can see him growing up every. single. day, which is another post and if I'm not careful I'll start crying about it...) with facebook and twitter and instagram and now vine, and he uses them all fully (even though he technically is not old enough. And yes, I have all of his passwords, and randomly check his sites. Which is another post again...)
Anyhow, today I was thinking as he had that camera pulled out snapping pics of him and his cousin Will and videotaping himself doing the laundry for Vine about how his generation frames their lives. Everything is picture-worthy. They snap selfie pics in the mirror and post statuses "Like and I'll rate or date." or "the truth is".
And while I get tired of that incessant camera out, and sometimes get tired of hearing from someone that he taped me singing while driving and put it on Vine and they thought it was so funny, I'm not that different.
We live in a world that thinks that everyone cares about what we are doing. We are a little self-absorbed- ok, maybe a lot. And while we do make decisions sometimes that affect other people, and we may even be the topic of gossip sometimes, the world really doesn't revolve around us. Despite my insecurities, I don't have to pretend to be perfect, because somewhere in another room somewhere in another house in another state sits another woman at her computer looking at pictures on facebook and thinking she just. doesn't. matter.
But we do. Even though what we do really doesn't matter.
The world tells us that this perspective is okay. We should strive to be the best that we can, and yes, God wants that, too... because we are living for Him, to bring Him glory. The world tells us, though, that we should only be concerned with self, and that to admit that our laundry is piled up to the ceiling and we enjoy sitting around in sweats and eating ice cream out of the carton sometimes, and that sometimes if we hear Mom one. more. time. we think we just might die... well, to admit that means that we are less than, and noone in this world wants to be less than.
Except that is what we were called to be. To lose our life and to die to self. I've been reading Anything by Jennie Allen, and those words keep running through my head, because to die to self is nearly impossible, especially in a world that says we need to just keep feeding our inner rock star.
To die to self means to pause and focus on Him... and to start radiating toward Him. One of the best ways to start this journey is to remember what He is done, and to count all of those gifts. I'm on 1120 of counting these gifts, and some of them are hard. It's hard to be thankful sometimes for new opportunities that are scary, or for risks we have to take. It's hard to be thankful for rain, until you see a brilliant double rainbow to remind you that His promises are yes and Amen. It's hard to be thankful in the waiting and in the battlefield, until He brings to mind and light verses like Isaiah 40:28-31 and Romans 8:28 just when you need them.
So today, as I'm starting to reframe my perspective and step out from the me mode, I'm linking up at www.aholyexperience.com and counting my gifts. Gifts like a day in the pool with Mom, Kami, and Caleb, a float and a good book. Gifts like time with Wallace and good walks on the treadmill and His Word. Gifts like dinner at Logan's Roadhouse with my boys and singing in the truck and Diet Coke and blue skies and getting my presentation done.
Join me? The next half of your year starts right now. Make it count by a changed perspective... and make it about Him. It's always been about Him anyway. He writes the story... He's just willing to let us be a major character.
No comments:
Post a Comment