When I was in Germany, my friend Rebecca would ride her bike every morning to a bakery to buy us fresh baguettes for breakfast. Some would still be warm on the lucky days. She could've drove to the bakery, bought enough for the week, and used that time to sleep in or do "more productive" things. But no, the combination of the exercise, outdoor beauty, and fresh-out-of-the-oven bread outweighed any more convenient alternative. I loved this about Europe. Coffee is served in ceramic mugs and your dinner is never cut short with an early check. They understand and value a coffee and tea break or a long drawn-out meal. To them, these are never to be rushed.
Right here in Cumming, there are two Starbucks on exit 13 off GA 400. I imagine the reasoning behind this is so the people on the east side have one and the people on the west side have one. They are maybe half a mile away from each other. But this way, nobody has to deal with the inconvenience of driving over the highway. There are mattress stores, nail salons, Walmarts, and tire shops EVERYWHERE! We have drive through coffee, food, dry cleaning, and even mini-marts so we can keep our cars and routines running. Everything is based upon the convenience of our constantly moving busy schedules.
We (being a good majority of teens and adults) are approaching our relationships with this same convenient mindset.
Some are looking for convenience.
-Someone with money, benefits, or advantages. Someone who will make them feel better, increase their popularity, or get them closer to their goal. Some are just looking to get laid and will take anyone who will fill that gap in their lives or satisfy an uncontrollable hunger.
While others are so desperate and lacking that they have made themselves convenient.
-This is most common in our young girls.
I cannot count how many one-sided conversations I've listened to where a girl friend is dealing with so much garbage because she's "so in love", or "doesn't want to hurt him", or (my favorite) "can't live without him because I don't know who I am without him."
Basically, the majority of our young women today view themselves as garbage bins without realizing it. Have you taken a look recently or even gotten a whiff of what your garbage bin smells and looks like? If you haven't, go outside and do it right now. Open it up, look inside, and inhale. That is what your heart will look and smell like, if doesn't already. And it's not any one's fault but yours.
I believe that God places people in our lives who are to love, care, and protect our hearts. Some of us our fortunate and blessed to have them, and some of us are forced to fend for ourselves. Regardless of your past, your situation, or your heart's loneliness, you ultimately are the one responsible for the care and upkeep of your heart. You cannot blame every heartbreak on the other side because you made yourself convenient. You did not convey to the other side that you are the treasure that was Wonderfully Made and is Fiercely LOVED by your Creator. You conveyed that you were just a garbage bin, made to bear emotional, physical, and/or verbal garbage.
This is not YOU. This is not what you were created for. You are not an assembly line product of standard issue. Time, Care, and Precision went into creating you. You are HIS unique creation and art. One of its kind, never to be duplicated. You would never allow someone to dump crap on a Monet, Degas, or Michael Angelo piece, but yet you would let them dump it on you when you are a piece made by the God of the Universe.
Ladies, it is time that you realize your value. Its time that you take ownership and responsibility for your heart's present state.
You can do this by securing your hearts as we would a Michael Angelo. Allow people close enough to examine it and take in its beauty, but not close enough to dump on it. Once the boundaries are set and security in place, its time to restore. Clean out any garbage or residue that's sticking around your heart by immersing yourself in the truth of God's Word. Pick up a book to help you get started. Anything by Joyce Meyer or Beth Moore is bound to change your life. Being that they are Women who have take a ride around the block and found their way back to Christ, they know what you're going through and how to get you through it. And once you're secure and all cleaned up, it's just about the maintenance. Frequent spiritual check ins, dusting, and wipe downs of your heart will ensure that it never goes back to looking the way it used to.
I want you to take ownership of heart and realize the incredible beauty that you are. Stop listening and accepting the lies that have tortured you day in and day out.
You are fearfully wonderfully made!
Do not be afraid for am with you! Don't be frightened, for I am your God! I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with my saving right hand! Isaiah 41:10
Yes, I like the European view of culture, not to be rushed. Also, they value quality, quality of food and relationships. I am tired of our society's "cheapening" of everything even relationships.
ReplyDeleteBTW, in Seattle we saw 2 Starbucks on opposite corners, I mean the folks that live on the side of one Starbucks never even have to cross the street, amazing!