For the week of: Monday, May 12th 2008

"A Life Shaped For Him"

I am well beyond excited, exhilarated and twitterpated, about to approach obnoxious. Our family – all of our precious sons, our delightful daughter-in-law, our adorable grandchildren and our two much-loved “like-a-daughters” – are soon to be headed out for a week’s vacation together. All together, all eleven of us. T-o-g-e-t-h-e-r.

I’ve managed to stay focused on all of the rest of life in recent months and on the to-do lists for this special week together and, bless their hearts, these sweet souls have endured my lengthy epistles that elaborate on every stinkin’ detail. Not until the last week have I allowed myself to get caught up in the sheer woo-hoo celebration of what’s to come. I called our youngest son and as soon as he said, “Hello,” I just spewed right thru the phone with, “Four more sleeps, only four more sleeps.” They deserve medals, they truly do.

We’re headed for Disneyworld, or “Mickey’s House” as four-year-old Ryley says. And you know what that means. Mouse ears. The internationally recognizable logo will be hugely evident in the landscaping topiaries, fountains, buildings, caps, swimming pools, t-shirts, car antennae toppers, license plates, teapots, rain slickers, necklaces, and ice cream bars…heavens! If you can come away from this theme park without a memory of mouse ears, you have to be blinder than a whole cave full of geriatric bats.

I cannot help but wonder how long people have to be around me before they pick up on how I’m shaped. How much of a conversation do they have to hear before they hear words shaped for His glory? How many days do they have to observe before they witness God-shaped service? How long before they recognize God-shaped praise? When others leave my presence, is there the slightest memory of a God-shaped life?

Groan.

They might remember a lot of things (I’m not exactly the wallflower type) but unless I live, eat and breathe Jesus, I get out of “shape” in no time. You understand.

Too many days out of the Word and my thoughts aren’t as kind, my words aren’t as tender.

Too little time spent on my knees in prayer and my dependence shifts from Him to…of all things, me.

Impressions of crude TV shows or nasty-lyric songs cause His shape to virtually disappear from around my heart.

As badly as I want anything, I want to be in shape. I desperately want to have a heart so shaped by Him that every thought, every word, every behavior, every decision is in the Spirit chiseled shape of my Lord Jesus.

I imagine you do, too.

I’m going to be seeing a lot of mouse ears next week and when I do, I’ll say a prayer that we both continue to be shaped for His glory.

Oh to be like Thee, Blessed Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer.
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s pleasures,
Jesus Thy perfect likeness to bear.
Oh to be like Thee, O to be Like Thee,
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art.
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness,
Stamp Thine own image, deep on my heart.

Lovingly,
Kay

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