Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s gloomy and it’s going to be rainy today, so I went searching for the Son the first thing this morning to find my warmth. I gave the Living God all of me as I offered my praise for all that He is, and I gave Him my thanks for all that He does. I made my way to my Instruction Manual and the Words that I read came to life as the God of the Universe spoke to my Heart. Like a One-on-one conversation with the One who created me. Like a Father leading His child to wisdom and truth so that he can grow his child into being all that he can be. I want to be all that He created me to be, so I open my heart to the Truth…even when it hurts…day after day. Isn’t that the way it is with you?

It must be pretty frustrating for God to hear His people say “that’s just the way I am” as if they were molded out of stone and not out of flesh and blood. But the only way we stay stuck being “just the way we are” is when we refuse to do the work that it takes to be the best version of us that we can be. So many people excusing away their flaws, their weaknesses, their rudeness and their wrongs and they’ll often say “take me or leave me” as if they’re perfectly content to stay there. It takes humility to be open to change, and it takes diligence to be willing to put in the effort day after day and year after year. Maybe it’s arrogance or maybe it’s laziness and or maybe it’s fear that keeps people from ever being willing to grow. But I think the biggest reason is that they’ve never really grasped the Truth and they don’t embrace the fact that they ONLY exist for His Purpose. Could it be that they take for granted that Redemption isn’t even on the realm of possibility without Him? Could it be that they’re like spoiled children believing they deserve the very best He has to offer without giving anything back? Whatever the reason, when we aren’t willing to grow, we eventually become useless to Him as we squander away the Gift of Life and we refuse to do what He created us to do in the First Place.

This morning I was reading about how Jesus asked Peter “do you love me?”…not once, not twice but three times! I can’t imagine being in the presence of the King of Kings while He asked me over and over again “Lynn, do you love me?”. Just like Peter I’d be proclaiming “OF COURSE I LOVE YOU”. I believe Jesus was driving home a message for all of us. Even though Peter was a passionate follower of Christ…even though He learned from Him, he ate with Him, He walked on water with Him, He traveled with Him and He taught with Him; Peter eventually denied that he ever even knew Jesus when he was faced with consequences if he was found to be one of His Followers. If Peter could be more consumed with fear than He was for Jesus, then it’s possible that I could be too…IF I let down my guard…IF I refuse to put in the Time…IF I stop working on being all that I can be for Him, and IF I ever utter words like “that’s just the way I am”. I’m a willing Vessel and a work in Progress and I’ll never stop loving my King..and I live like it because ANYTHING less would be less than the Living God deserves.

How about you?