Just Stop And Think

I've seen this before but, it has been a while now.  It blessed me then and it blessed me again today.  You know how sometimes it is worth it to take a few extra minutes to watch something, well this is no exception...your time will not be wasted. The day to day noise can get so loud and distracting.  It can become so hard to slow down and to be still enough to let the Lord speak or to just be in His presence at all.  I've got a daily routine that allows for very little quality time with the Lord.  I squeeze him in here and there when it is convenient.  I often make Him work for my schedule instead of working my schedule for Him...the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, creator of the Universe and the Earth that I walk on, creator of every breath that I take, Yahweh, Jehovah, Prince of Peace, my Heavenly Father. 

There are so many simple and yet  profound points that Francis Chan makes in this clip.  I was reminded not to take the perfect balance that Earth, life and human existence is for granted.  Life as we know it is so extraordinary and yet I barely give it a thought most days. I was reminded that being good is not what gives me a golden ticket into Heaven.  It hasn't ever worked like that though that is a common misconception.  I could easily rate myself on a scale by comparing myself in levels of goodness to other people who are not as good.  I could quickly determine that I am not that bad because I don't murder or steal etc. etc.  As much as I would like to think that because I have never done these things that I am somehow good or better than the people who have is unfortunately not true.  Who judges what good is anyways??  Haven't we all lied, cheated, stolen (not necessarily from a store..there are other types of stealing...), coveted, some commit adultery, thought slanderous and hateful things towards our fellow man (the bible says that those thoughts are just as bad as murder and adultery if our motive behind them is wrong)  God doesn't grade good and bad the way we do in our minds...thank goodness because if He did we would all be unforgiveable and Heaven would be empty.....really, none of us are as "good" as we like to think we are...though I hear it all the time. What really got me though was when Francis Chan describes trying to imagine the pain of seeing one of his daughter's nailed to a cross as a sacrifice for the rest of the world.  I immediately thought of the same image with my daughter, my precious, priceless, only child.  I felt my heart breaking and ripping apart in agony just at the mere though of such a gruesome thing.  That is what Jesus did for us, for me, willingly.  Another thing that is far too often taken for granted.  I love God nudges...in other words, I love when God reaches out to me right where I'm at and gives me a little love nudge.  "Hey, Casey do you understand just how much I love you?"  Do you understand that I died so that your sins wouldn't be counted against you?  Do you know that even though you spend so little time with me that I am always waiting for you and I am always here when you finally turn your ear to listen to my voice.  I've heard your cries and seen the tears that you cry when no one else is around.  I ache when you ache and I care about what you care about.  I am near to you always.  I am holding you.  I love you.  Come to me just as you are.  I miss you."