Augustine wrote his Confessions, so here is mine . . .

Ever read "The Confessions?"

God knows I don't do "change" well, so every once in a while He sets events in motion to remind me 1) He is God; and 2) I am not. I have learned there are three ways to exist in this life: growing, maintaining or dying. Of these three there is only one positive and change is what moves us by the means of His grace to grow into the image of Christ. After all, this is the destination of the Christian.

Admittedly, I've been quite busy and quite frustrated. So busy that I've set my blog on "autopilot" to post scheduled items while I try to find where "normal" is again. I've even had to cancel evangelism outings until the dust settles around the house. I could gladly list with details all the things that are bothering me right now, but I will not as nobody but God should be subjected to my complaints.

As I finished unpacking my last three boxes from my office move, I tuned my computer in to CSN Radio, on the Calvary Satellite Network (a ministry of Calvary Chapel) and listened to the late, great Adrian Rogers talk about the ministry of Jesus during the storm (after feeding the five thousand). Right at the very beginning you could almost see the smile on his face when he said to the effect, "You don't have any storms in your life right now? Well, enjoy the ride. You think I'm kidding? You may be telling the truth when you say you don't have any storms right now, but they will come. Until they do, enjoy the ride." I don't know why, but that heaping dose of southern encouragement was a blessing. I had to be reminded that while the storm was raging, in the bottom of that boat sat a basket of left-over bread from the last miracle of Jesus . . .

I feel horrible because of my attitude. When the storm winds start kicking up, I am usually the first to complain--I admit it. I like smooth sailing. I like when things go well. Is that selfish? To a degree it must be, because God says I can't have things my way all the time. He must have His . . . and to think that I complain about what He does for His glory. And then I have the audacity to pray "make me like Christ. Make me after your will . . ."

It is said that there was once a monk who prayed much that he might have the marks of the Lord upon his hands and feet. A vision was given him in which he was shown a mark on the Lord’s body that the world had forgotten. It was the mark upon the shoulder, and the monk learned that he could only have the marks on the hands and feet as he first had the mark upon the shoulder.

This is not about contentment. It is about the perfection of One who thinks higher thoughts, whose ways are His own to the praise of His own glory. It is about one who is not merely a worm, but a worm baking on the pavement in the hot sun. The only good is that which reaches down and lifts the scalded scaly body back into the still-watered green pastures.

Change moves me from what I am to where He is already.

For encouragement, read this, from 2004.