Same Kind of Different As Me

I just recently finished the book, Same Kind of Different As Me. I would thoroughly recommend it to everyone! Not only was it an excellent, and easy read, but it was inspiring too. It really made me think about where God wants me, and how he would have me serve others. Am I spending my life thinking about what I can do for myself, or am I truly loving others, no matter how easy (or hard) it might be? I feel like God has been revealing so much to me lately about my heart...some good, and some I don't like so much! Just this week my pastor was preaching about King David, and he made a point that really struck me: Are you living as though you are a King...like you are better than everyone else...like other people are less than you for any number of reasons. Wow, it really made me think. I think most of us want to say we love others and that we don't think we are better than anyone, but deep down it seems like that is not the case. I like to love people that are easy to love. God calls me to love everyone but I whine about loving those that are not easy to minister to. I recognize I am not the smartest person in the world, but realize I do feel like some people are inferior to me. This is not right either. The weird thing is that I actually struggle with my self esteem sometimes, but it doesn't take much to puff up with pride and think, "oh, well at least I'm better than that person." I guess that makes me sound terrible and I hate that, but it's just something I have been thinking a lot about lately. Can I love without boundaries like Christ has called me to? Can I stop thinking I am better than somebody else since I am a sinner saved by grace as well?

At the end of the book there were some really awesome discussion questions, and one of them really made me think. It said something like, if you were to die today, what 3 things would you want to be remembered for? Wow...... What would I want to be remembered for? What would I actually be remembered for? Is Christ being glorified in my life, or am I focusing on my own glory? What is God calling me to do with my life right now? Bryan and I have spent the last few weeks discussing where God is leading us and our family and I feel like God has really been drawing me to put down my desires and actually consider what he might be calling me to do. As we have looked at our plates for the Fall, we have had to take some things off of them, and add in others we weren't even expecting. I am thrilled with all that God is teaching me, and look forward to how he can use me. Throughout the next couple of weeks we have some decisions to make and things to figure out. Again, it is not quite time to share some of these things, but I am beginning to be excited about the future. I have faith that God will really begin to use me when I put myself aside and focus on him.