Day 5: Back to Normal...

Well.....where were we...
Oh yeah:

BE NICE TO STRANGERS..

You never know who they might turn out to be...

Have you ever felt just a little small?

lAST NIGHT Deb and I attended a Korean BBQ hosted by the Lees, a neat couple with 3 kids who help run the kids ministry at Eastern Hills.
As usual, we were one of the first families to arrive, but not too long after, a very interesting, eclectic group of people followed.
Now, at first glance, these folks actually looked pretty normal. No Rolex watches, Gucci shoes, Ferrari sports cars....nothing too fancy.
Not too long into the inevitable small talk, I realized that, once again, my first impressions had turned out to be...lacking.
Even though I've worked with these folks some in the ministry, and met them at church a few times, it wasn't long before I learned how little I actually knew about them.
After dinner, Eun Lee, our hostess, had each guest fill out a slip of paper with two facts about ourselves that others might not know.
I scribbled down that I had piloted a ww2 fighter trainer, and had hung out in the Library a lot as a kid. Pretty scintillating, right?
Well, before long I realized that these were not ordinary people I was hanging with.
They turned out to be, among others:

A professional artist-interior designer with an upcoming show at a genuwine gallery! (I can't draw a line...can barely draw water from our well!!)

A research scientist who can hold his breath for over 5 minutes and swim 100 yards while doing it..

A lady doctor who has already run 6 marathons, and is scheduled to run the New York City Marathon next month..

Three scratch golfers, one of whom is a golf pro. (Last time I tried that impossible game, I hit about a hundred on the first 9 holes!!)

A guy who built his own home with his own hands, his own business with his own brilliance, and an amazing kids ministry with his own heart.


Wow. Talk about being out classed.
Made me feel like I've made a life study out of mediocrity. And, ya know, maybe in some ways I have.
Somehow way back in the past, I decided to pace myself. In everything. Took my time with just about everything. Tried to learn a little about a lot, And not a lot about too much.

I made it. I can do almost anything I put my mind too...rather poorly.
I ran, or at least I used to (power walk now...disk trouble, don't ya know..) 3 to 5 miles at a time, at the most. and Slowly..9-10 minute miles.
I can barely swim, though I love the water. I keep telling myself I'm going to take lessons at the Y, learn how to do it right...but never seem to get around to it. Even if I do, holding my breath for 5 minutes for me will only happen the day I die!
As for art...the only painting I will ever be able to sell will be done on the outside or inside of a house!!

Now, before you awesome family members who are reading this send me a bunch of comments to bolster my faltering ego, check this out.

Have you ever felt this way? Like the smallest piece of the puzzle?

Here's what I think.

I believe God doesn't quite see exactly the way we do. We're definitely experts at seeing the obvious, what's right out there for us to see.
The Boss though, He sees right through us. Into us. To the heart of us. Not where we are, necessarily, but where we truly want to be..
Where our treasure is.
Where your treasure is, there also will your heart be...

Ya know, that thought makes me feel a whole lot better about what I can't seem to do well. If I really want to live for the Lord, really try to put one foot in front of the other, day in, day out, pointed in the right direction, making Him my treasure...

Maybe I don't need to run a stinkin' marathon!!
Or paint a beautiful picture.

Maybe to the God who built us, who really loves us, we are the beautiful picture.

NUFF SAID....

YOU GET THE POINT!