Each day, throughout the day, when I bow my head to pray, I ask the Lord to wash my ears, eyes, and heart so that I may see, hear, and fell his word. I pray for the ability to put my own worries and thoughts away and try to focus on what I can do to glorify God. I have the same few sentences that I say every day. I know that God is still listening every day when I say these sentences, but he's probably getting a little bored at this point.
I was reading one of my favorite blogs, Soul Caffeine, and it had an AMAZING prayer that summarizes perfectly what I say every day in my own prayers, but it adds something more. It adds a depth that I had lost through my same old prayer. The prayer is:
Father, in Jesus’ Name I’m asking you to change the world through me Today. Please cancel all of my own plans and replace them with Your Plans. I know your plans are better even when I don’t fully understand them. Please interrupt my routine with people who need to be encouraged and helped and give me the Grace and Wisdom to help them. Please clear my mind of my many past regrets and future plans, I know that you’ve already paid the price for my past and paved the path to my future. Today and everyday, my life is in your hands. Please forgive me of my pride, doubt and selfishness and give me the strength to be free from every form of sin. I know that all sin starts in my mind, so renew my mind with your Truth and guide my thoughts and my actions. Please help me to see the world through your eyes, Today. Help me to see people and love people the way that you do. Let me live Today with the focus and resolve I would have if I knew it was my last day on Earth. Use me as a living instrument of your Grace and Love. Today is a day that you have made, and I will rejoice and be glad in it. Thank you for the countless Blessings in my life. Today, please help me to choose an Attitude of Gratitude. I love you, LORD. Thanks so much for loving me and for reminding me with every Sunrise, that you are a God of New Beginnings, Second Chances and Beautiful Grace.
Crazy, huh? One little paragraph can affect you. If you're like me, I just read it the first time, I wasn't in-the-zone talking to Him. Yet, it still had an impact on me that I can't explain (but, of course, I'm going to try.) This prayer, so simple and straight forward, demonstrates how each and every one of us can better serve the Lord our God. It begs us to look at the world without judgement or predisposed notions. It reminds that we can't do anything about the things that happened yesterday and we can't control the unknown things of tomorrow. We have to live for today. Right now, this very moment, Jesus is sitting beside you and walking with you. Every time you hit a bump in the road, he holds your hand and lifts you up off your hands and knees. We get frustrated sometimes (well, most of the time) and that's ok, we're human. But, God has a plan which allows us stop thinking about tomorrow and worry about this moment that you are currently in. Easier said than done, but I think that this prayer will really help me to think more like Christ. Thus, I've dubbed it my new favorite prayer.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
"The best Christmas I've ever had."
These were the words that an 8 year old boy said to me over and over again on Saturday morning. For the past 6 years I have participated in the rewarding Shop With A insert your mascot here. The program began at my high school, called Shop With A Mustang (SWAM). Each year we raised over $35,000 by walking around the lunch room asking students for loose change. Over $35,000 raised in a high school lunch room. It still blows my mind.
Three years ago, my good friend brought the program, Shop With A Bulldawg, to the University of Georgia as a freshman. The first year there were 80 mentors participating, last year 200 participated and this year 400 mentors showed up at 7:30am on Saturday morning to participate in SWAB. As I looked around at the event, I was astounded to see the amount of people there with the sole intention of helping those less fortunate than them.
I mentored Julian, a hyper 8-year-old boy. As we walked through the isles of Target picking up a football, Julian said it: "this will be the best Christmas I've ever had." I was so excited that we were getting things that he wanted and that would make him happy. We were buying him a football, something so simple that I would just see as a disposable toy. To Julian though, the football signified so much more. When we got back from Target to wrap his gifts, he pulled out the football to show his mom. He exclaimed, "Look at this! Marcus will love it!"I turned to Julian and asked who Marcus was. He told me that it was his older brother and that Marcus loves to play football even more than he does.
Here I am thinking we're shopping for Julian, when Julian has his mind on others and not himself. It was the perfect reminder that material things will not make us happy. It forced me to think of the multiple times that I walk by the volunteers seeking donations for The Salvation Army outside of stores. What is $1 or some loose change? It will not change my bank account or make me starve for dinner. It's just a $1, yet it could help someone else more than I can imagine. Julian was thinking of others and what he could give to them, which is what we all need to keep in mind, especially during the holiday season. It is so easy to get swept into the hustle and bustle of the holidays, but it is the most important time to give back and help others. There are so many opportunities to donate money, time, and effort to others and it can be so simple. So why do we act like it is the biggest inconvenience when do volunteer? Just something to keep in mind the next time you see someone ringing a bell standing next to a red donation bucket.
Three years ago, my good friend brought the program, Shop With A Bulldawg, to the University of Georgia as a freshman. The first year there were 80 mentors participating, last year 200 participated and this year 400 mentors showed up at 7:30am on Saturday morning to participate in SWAB. As I looked around at the event, I was astounded to see the amount of people there with the sole intention of helping those less fortunate than them.
I mentored Julian, a hyper 8-year-old boy. As we walked through the isles of Target picking up a football, Julian said it: "this will be the best Christmas I've ever had." I was so excited that we were getting things that he wanted and that would make him happy. We were buying him a football, something so simple that I would just see as a disposable toy. To Julian though, the football signified so much more. When we got back from Target to wrap his gifts, he pulled out the football to show his mom. He exclaimed, "Look at this! Marcus will love it!"I turned to Julian and asked who Marcus was. He told me that it was his older brother and that Marcus loves to play football even more than he does.
Here I am thinking we're shopping for Julian, when Julian has his mind on others and not himself. It was the perfect reminder that material things will not make us happy. It forced me to think of the multiple times that I walk by the volunteers seeking donations for The Salvation Army outside of stores. What is $1 or some loose change? It will not change my bank account or make me starve for dinner. It's just a $1, yet it could help someone else more than I can imagine. Julian was thinking of others and what he could give to them, which is what we all need to keep in mind, especially during the holiday season. It is so easy to get swept into the hustle and bustle of the holidays, but it is the most important time to give back and help others. There are so many opportunities to donate money, time, and effort to others and it can be so simple. So why do we act like it is the biggest inconvenience when do volunteer? Just something to keep in mind the next time you see someone ringing a bell standing next to a red donation bucket.
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