Tuesday, January 18, 2011 - Fluffy, Pink Bunny Suits

  One of my favorite scenes in the movie "A Christmas Story" is when 10-year old Ralphie opens Aunt Clara's Christmas gift to find a fluffy pink bunny costume. His mother says"How sweet!" and tells him Aunt Clara made it for him, but Ralphie doesn't feel any more endeared to the bunny suit or Aunt Clara. "Aunt Clara had for years not only perpetually labored under the delusion that I was 4 years old, but also a girl." Poor Aunt Clara had sewn her fingers to the bone in vain and all because she didn't really know Ralphie.

     We can be like Aunt Clara when it comes to serving God if we're not careful. We may have wonderful ideas, plenty of energy and the discipline of a Spartan soldier but none of these satisfy God. We may brainstorm elaborate plans and use our leadership to accomplish what we view as the "perfect" gift only to have God take one look and ask, "You don't know me very well, do you?"  "The greatest competitor of devotion to Jesus is service for Him." (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, Jan. 18, 2011). Thomas, one of the Twelve, didn't know Jesus for who He was and doubted the Lord could rise from the dead. Then he came close and saw the Resurrected One for himself and declared what God wants to hear from each of us: "My Lord and my God!"  God asks us to come close and spend quality time with Him on the heights to know Him personally before we labor on any service in His Name or choose a gift for Him. I'll bet His closet is packed with fluffy pink bunny costumes.

Lord, we love You and we fall short on spending quality time with You as You desire. Forgive us for assuming we know You and know what You desire when we've not spent time with You. You are our Strength, our Lord and our God! What You ask of us may not come as easily as service or an offering. I lay myself on Your altar, sacrificing all my assumptions and everything I already have "in the works" for You. Help me follow You closely. Reveal Yourself to me so, like Thomas, I'm overcome with Who You are and respond appropriately.

In the Name of Jesus, our Lord and our God!

"Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. 

Then He said to him,

 'Follow me!'" 

John 21:19

"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory 

that far outweighs them all." 

2 Corinthians 4:17

"The Sovereign LORD is my strength; 

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, 

He enables me to go on the heights." 

Habakkuk 3:19

"Thomas said to Him, 

'My Lord and my God!'" 

John 20:28

Inspired by Jesus Calling and My Utmost for His Highest