Oh Seattle. I really do love you and can't imagine living almost anywhere else. However, its on days like today, the 26th of July, I seem to be a bit frustrated by your weather. I don't expect rain and humidity this late into summer, but I have hopes that August will bring a nice heat considering we have perhaps had only 5(and that's being generous) days with which to call a "hot" day. Granted, most Seattlites would consider anything over 65 hot. Bust out the shorts and sandals everyone! Not. We all manage to stump the rest of the nation with our low level of acceptance of this nice weather. But it is just what we are accustomed to here. Let's be honest, we do get wet and grey weather 80% of the time and living here my entire life does give me great affection for the rain as I have grown used to it being "the norm." But there is nothing like those incredible unexpected days when the sky is cloudless and blue and you can see Mt. Rainier or the Olympic mountain range, depending on which direction you happen to be looking. It's like a whole new place entirely! It just feels like my vision has cleared up along with the weather. Colors are much more vibrant, air seems more refreshing, food and drink seem to taste better, all because of the grace that is a sunny day. No gray. I get a taste of one of those beautiful Northwest days(these being the reason why I find it hard to live anywhere else) and a certain feeling comes over that I am truly humbled by the God's intricate and perfect creation.
Sometimes I feel as though I do this with God. I get so stuck in the gray. I feel like for most of my life, I live in the gray. Luckily through sancitifacation, Christ is giving me new eyes to see the color in life and weening me out the "norm" or the gray that I have grown so accustomed to. I settle far too quickly for the things in my life that I want before trusting and appraoching God and seeking His will for my life. I am infinitely guilty of this. I want my own way, whether I am quick to admit it or not. I want my plans to work out as I feel they should and when I don't I get frustrated. I forget far too quickly that I am not called to live a life of control, but rather one of obedience. I remember reading "We are far too easily settled by playing with mud pies because we do not know of the joy of a holiday by the sea." We settle far too easily with the things in our life that we can control and think that those are the greatest things we wil have see/have/accomplish/need. We do not realize that through Christ's sacrifice and saving grace that there is more that God has for our lives. We tend to love playing with "mud pies" because we feel like we can control that much because it is what we know, when what God has for us is so much more that we can't even imagine the great things he has should we act in obedience, repent and trust in Him for guidance and direction in our lives.
A lifestyle so much easier said than done. To treasure Christ above all things is like a constant reset button for me. I find I go from one idol to the next and have to continually refocus my heart on Christ. I find that everytime I do, I have greater affection and love for Him and can sometimes see small glimpses of Him growing me. I value the harsh truths, even though in the moments I want to run and not face the realities of my sin, as I think we all want to do in one way or another. But oh, how I long for a holiday by the sea.
Here's to the re-set button.
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