a world we were not created for

So many conversations recently, with so many different people. Discontentment with a certain area of life. Why Lord? Why me? I don't understand. Yesterday was eye opening, life changing. Such an easy concept, why has it not made sense before? Same "conversation", slightly different approach. "Light bulb moment". Twice in one day... ok, Lord. You are speaking... I am listening.

10am LifeChurch.tv-SOKC. Tracey and I sat in the experience room. Unlike any other day, Pastor Craig full of his comedic stories...then bam... a profound statement and a room of silence. True[ish] week 2: As long as your happy. Today's funny story a fish out of water... put him on a beach... vacation time... sunglasses...a corona...and a playfish magazine...[oh yes! he really said that!!] is the fish happy? NO! He's out of the water he was created for. He's not where he belongs. The longer he stays away... he will begin to die. And then bam... we on earth are like the fish out of water. If we are basing our happiness on the things of this world, we will never find it. People think: better possessions + peaceful circumstances + thrilling experiences + right relationships + the perfect appearance = happiness. But... Nothing of this world will make us happy b/c we were not created for this world. We both look at each other... WOW!! I've never thought of it quite that way. I've always known, it's not the "things" that make you happy. But I've always limited those "things" to actual material objects. I certain can and have done without a lot of things that most think they can't do without. But have honestly never grasped the idea that relationships and peace are also "things". It's ok, to have wants and desires. & there will be times when God blesses us with material things, relationships, a peaceful life. But when we place these things before Him, true happiness and contentment will never be obtained. We must place our happiness in HIM, the ONE we were created for. All other blessings are a bonus.

Later in the day, I was reading a blog posted by my sweet friend Sarah. The morning's revelations were reenforced so perfectly by her words...

"There deep in the Word (both written and living) I find comfort that great warriors of Christ are simply human at times and only reside wholly in Him when we briefly escape our bindings. But the truth is blaringly clear: He brought the opportunity down from heaven and inserted it here in the middle of this world; the world we will never belong to, the world we were not intended for. He finds us here every day and seeks to give the Divinity of walking with Him….and, daily, this world blinds the eyes of many to seeing it. Nothing before Him!!! I say it again….Nothing Before Him!!!"

Wow!! So profound!! I leave you with a verse I found today. One that pretty much sums it all up:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge cloud of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. ~ Hebrews 12:1 NLT