Growing in Grace

Happy New Year! I was very fortunate to spend my New Years with all of my cousins this year. We had a fun night of bowling, and a “Gilmore Girls” marathon that lasted until 2:00 in the morning! It was a blast, and I hope to do it again soon!

I was supposed to come home on Thursday (New Years Day), but ended up staying an extra day with my aunt, uncle and cousins. I had a blast hanging out and spending time with them! Thanks, Marshall, Kris, Hannah, and Mikala!

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the coming of the new year. Like most people I have made a list of things I would like to work on this year, most are the typical: workout more, become more disciplined in my life,  etc… but something struck me as I was watching “Gilmore Girls” with my cousins.

I love it when God  uses  something like a television show to remind me of something, He shows me time and time again that He is real, and very much involved in my life even when I don’t see it. I have to be honest and say that I didn’t think of this immediately, but as I was driving back home on I-77 on Friday, the Lord brought a certain scene to mind.

In this scene, Rory, the main character, is about to graduate from Yale University. She is twenty-two years old, and has a boyfriend of three years. On the eve of her graduation, her boyfriend, Logan, proposes to her. She is of course shocked and surprised, and not quite sure how to respond. She asks Logan if she can take some time to think about it and get back to him later with her answer.

Logan tells her to take all the time she needs, and says that he will wait for her answer. The next day, right after she has walked across the stage, recieved her diploma, and taken all the necessary pictures with her family, she sees Logan in the distance. As she walks up to him, I’m preparing myself for this really great acceptance of his proposal, and a sloppy, tear filled love saga that will leave Rory and Logan floating on “clouds of eternal bliss”.

After preparing myself for this, I watch in dismay as Rory looks at Logan, refuses his proposal, and hands the engagement ring back to him. Saying she wasn’t ready, and wanted to make her own way in the world. I was horrified, how dare she do that? Doesn’t she know what she’s turning down? Here is her chance at love, and she’s throwing it away? Needless to say, I was not happy with Rory Gilmore.

It was not until Friday afternoon that I realized that I’m very much like Rory Gilmore. As I was driving, I started thinking about how many times God will “propose” to me, and I will just casually turn my head, hand back His love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, joy, peace, and walk away to find my own way.

I was horrified. I had never thought about this, I had never thought about how many times I do this. There is God standing there with His love, and a proposal to come and get to know Him better. And there I am, ignoring Him, trying to fill my time with other things, thinking that will bring me fulfillment.

How dare I do that? Do I not know what I’m turning down? Here is my chance at love, and I’m just casually throwing it away? Needless to say, I was not pleased with myself.

Only, in my case my God will never leave me. Unlike Logan, my God will never leave me standing there. He is always there, His proposal is always there. It’s just up to me to accept His offer.

So while my intentions of getting fit, and working on other areas of my life are good. My main focus for 2009 is to accept the proposal of my great God each and every time He offers.

Which thankfully, for me is everyday…