Themessage

So, first a funny story....

A couple of years ago for Christmas I had this brilliant gift idea to get Mike a copy of The Message by Eugene Peterson. I love reading The Message in addition to the NIV and New American Standard because it creates a very personal feeling to the Word. I love the way Eugene Peterson articulates some very powerful and passionate messages of Scripture. There are times when I think his interpretation is quite different from my own, but I feel like the thought process of reaching that conclusion is also a wonderfully valuable experience.

But, back to my story. I buy this perfect gift for Mike and I am SUPER excited about it. I wrap it beautifully, because anyone who knows me well can attest to the fact that I am CRAZY about beautifully wrapped Christmas gifts. Mike (who thinks my beautiful wrapping makes one feel some level of guilt for unwrapping their gifts) carefully opened his Christmas gift and responded with a very lame, "Oh, ummm, yeah, thanks," or something to that affect.

I was pretty disappointed because I had even written a really nice message on the inside cover. So, in a heartfelt attempt to redeem this moment of gift-giving joy, I suggested that he read my special message. He complied, and then got this really perplexed look on his face. He flipped back to the front cover and it was like a lightbulb went off in his head. "OH!" he exclaimed, "It's The Message."

He then proceeded to get as excited as I originally expected. When he explained his initial confusion, I couldn't help but bust out laughing. Apparently when Mike first read the cover he smooshed all the letters together in his head (because that is the way the graphic designer laid out the cover) and read it as one word: themessage. His pronunciation sounded like a French back rub, and that is EXACTLY what he thought this massive hardcover book was, a book about MASSAGES! hahaha. Poor guy...no wonder he was totally confused.

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Despite a somewhat misleading cover, The Message has wonderfully encouraging interpretations in Scripture that I find to be very refreshing (although again I emphasize the fact that this is an interpretive version of Scripture from Eugene Peterson's point of view, which I don't always agree with substantively). Here is a passage I read last night that really ministered to my heart:

Micah 6:8b

"It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don't take yourself too seriously - take God seriously."

I love that.

You see, I am quite prone, as I believe many of us are, to take myself very seriously. My problems, no matter how insignificant to others (or event to myself at a later time), seem REALLY big to me at the moment they're happening.

But, they're really not that big of a deal. I am really not that big of a deal. And that is WONDERFUL! Why? Because that means that when I mess up, when I fail, when I TOTALLY BLOW IT, it's okay. Because really, it's not about me. It's about Him. It's not about Kathy's glory. It's about God's glory.

And what I can't see on this side of heaven is the beautiful tapestry he is creating of my life, despite my flaws, weaknesses and shameful failures. He is big enough to overcome even the worst of my sin.

That brings me back to a message from Kyle Idleman at Southeast Christian Church that I heard the Sunday after New Years. (You can actually check out the message HERE.) He challenged us to pray a prayer for 2010, and it really spoke to me. It's been coming back up in my heart again and again.

Lord,

More of You. Less of me. Fill me with Your Spirit.

More than anything else, that is what I want. I want to recognize that it's not about me, and to release more of myself each day, so that He can have total control. I want to live my life in a constant state of fullnesses, achieved by the Holy Spirit.

So pray for me, hold me accountable, and feel free to ask me any questions you might have about what this all means. I would love to know what God might be using this simple prayer and this little verse from The Message to say to you.

Dios les bendiga!