On shortcuts

Yesterday I was driving home from home. (for those of you who dont know me, believe me i realize this makes very little sense, just go with it)

anyhow, i thought (well i was positive) i knew a shortcut. i knew, i knew, i knew. however this shortcut proved to get me absolutely lost. like utterly. lost. after stoping at 2 gas stations and recieving 2 different sets of directions, i made my way back to interstate 81 and then made my way back to Home. this morning i was thinking about my shortcut, and realized that is a big way in how i treat my life, and not just my life but my relationship with christ. i enjoy shortcuts, and who doesnt? right? i mean they get you there faster, they make the trip seem so much easier...and hey who doesn't like a faster, and easier relationship with christ? i know i sure do.

but the issue with that is christ said to die to follow him. he said it costs something, he said it requires you to sell all you have to enter the kingdom of heaven. he says to help the poor, to love the sick, to love the ungodly, to live like he has...maybe instead of griping about how frustrated we are with the way the church is running and or operating we should go in and flip the tables over...but long before we can do that i've gotta let Jesus flip the tables of my heart, and drive out the selfish ambitions, the desire to serve noone but myself. then maybe things can start to look up.

maybe i'll continue to grow on this journey of knowing christ and making him known. maybe i'll continue to look for shortcuts...maybe i'm selfish. no scratch that. i am. maybe i'll allow christ to transform me for his glory. maybe one day i'll die to myself, one day i'll pick up my cross, one day i wont love my father and mother more than him. i feel like this is all going to happen for me..but when? cause i feel like christ is more in love with this future version of myself. the one who doesn't meticulously look for short cuts everywhere. maybe he loves that dakota more. but thats not grace is it? no, the beauty is christ loves me now. right now. how i am. dirty. rotten. ugly. impatient. arogant. proud. selfish. he loves me now and sees me clean. new. beautiful. longsuffering. low. humble. selfless. his love isn't based on what i will be one day. his love is based on the cross and what that means for me.

while i fully agree i need change, i need rest, i need strength, i need forgivness, i need grace, i need hope...i can rest, and have hope in the fact that right now christ loves me.

heres to shortcuts. they never work.

lates

oh if you interested here are some good bands i've been listening to that i think everyone needs to check out:

Maximo Park
Brendan Benson and the Wellfed Boys
El Presidente
Derby
Black Kids
Mint
Carolina Liar
and last but certainly not least....
The Lovemakers