Monday, July 25, 2011

It's a love story, baby just say yes.

...it's been a long time since I've posted on here...I've been pretty busy lately with life which is surprising because it is summer time. Most students are usually ecstatic for summer time to come because a) no more school, b) no more routines, c) no more deadlines... d) no more pressure... During summer you can do what you want. Well, pretty much. So what have I been doing? I've been working. I've been spending as much time at the cottage as I possibly can. I've been catching up with old friends. I've been saving money. I've been savouring the last few weeks of summer in any way I can before September comes around and I  move across the country to start a new adventure. You know, moving away for school didn't seem like that big of a deal to me at first...I thought 'well...I'll be back for Christmas and summer...so it's no biggie...' It's nothing like moving away and never coming back. However, there still is a lot to do before I can head out...and although I still have a few weeks left, I feel like my time is running out. There's not enough time to hang out with all my friends one last time. There's not enough time to do the crazy things that me and my closest friends had always said we'd do this summer. There's not enough time to make new friendships while still maintaining my old ones. There's not enough time to get everything ready that I need for college. There's not enough time to mentally prepare to leave my family and friends for eight months with just one visit. There's just not enough time. 

I'm frantically searching for time... meanwhile, I've forgotten about the one who created time -- the one who gives me time. ...as I think about it now I feel stupid. Why didn't I make more time for God? Why didn't I draw closer to Him this summer? I'm going to just speak my mind here and express that sometimes I wonder why God leaves us with the choice to make time for Him. Why didn't he just create us to naturally be close with Him. Everything would be so much easier. Why does it always take so much effort to set aside everything in our crazy lives to sit down with him? Why didn't he create us to resist temptation without struggle. Why do we constantly have to chose Him over the other things in our life? Why didn't he just create a perfect world where humans were just automatically in love with Him. It could have been the greatest love story ever. But then, I realize...that's all wrong. 

Take a trip back to gym class -- remember how everyone always dreaded being the last one picked for the dodgeball team...the last person picked knew they weren't actually picked...the team captain had no choice...they had to take that person...and more often than not, I'm sure the captain never wanted that player on his/her team in the first place, otherwise they would have selected them at the beginning.

Now, imagine yourself in a relationship. Imagine that your boyfriend/girlfriend didn't decide they wanted to be in a relationship with you. They just had to...they had no choice. Arranged marriage? Perhaps. Whatever they case, he/she did not choose you. Where is the romance in that? Where is the love in that? I don't see any. I see a forced relationship that might stick together with a lot of work, a lot of effort from both parties, and a lot of not being happy with the arrangement... but is that really the relationship you want?

God loves his people. He loves us. He loves me -- and he loves you. He chose us. Right from the very beginning he chose us. And if you get a chance to read the Bible, you'll get to read the greatest love story ever...about how God sent his own son to die for us...because he loves us that much. Isn't that true love? Giving up your most valued treasure for the one you love. I think it is.  But the sad part is, so many people in the world don't chose God. He chose them, but they don't choose Him back. They are stuck in this relationship of 'I don't really love you, but I'm stuck with you so let's try make this work.' But it's not love. Imagine how God feels. He made the ultimate sacrifice of giving up his son for us in attempts to woe his bride, and we don't even fall in love. Some never fall in love. Some don't even know they are being pursued. And then there are others who fall in madly in love, but get caught up in all the choices they are offered in life...and slowly they start choosing other things... very gradually they start spending  more time with friends, and less time reading the Word. More time at working trying to make money, and less time talking to the one that provides the money. Slowly, the relationship has become more of a formality, and less of a love story. And don't worry -- I'm not talking about you, I'm talking about me here.

But here is the kicker -- summer is not quite over yet. I still have time to choose God again. I still have time to choose Him above other things in my life. I will love Him because he first loved me...I know I've been distant the last few weeks, but He chose me first..and let me tell you... it feels good to be chosen...and I know as I grow closer to Him again it will no longer be a hard choice to carve time out of my schedule for prayer, but it will once again be something I love to do... because you do crazy things for the people you love. :)  "It's a love story, baby just say yes!"