a little perspective.

Last week as I was out running errands I was stopped at a stop sign. Crossing the road were two little ones..both of whom looked under five years old, and a woman, who I assumed to be their mother. She was also carrying a car seat with an infant inside. If you have ever carried one of those you know how heavy they can be!

She seemed to be struggling as sweat ran down her temples, it was a hot day. Here I sat in my mini-van air conditioning blasting, my boys and I very comfortable on our way to get a few things we needed and maybe a few extras. At the moment I think I was a bit stunned.

I've been known to complain about my van, mostly I'm joking but if I'm honest there is a part of me who longs for a SUV...you know the big ones that cost like $200. to fill up. Ridiculous I know. I must be insane...or at least just really selfish.

I soon realized how often I think that way. I look at the very wealthy and exclaim how selfish they with thier fancy cars and gorgeous homes. HELLO! Examine yourself Anne! I'm just as, if not more selfish then they. People less fortunate than I am probably think that I'm a selfish pig.

And so the story goes.

While I know it's not wrong to have nice things, it is wrong to make them a centerpoint in your life. I think I too often think about what I can buy next for me instead of thinking how I could use the money to help someone else.

Everything in life is a gift from God. We deserve nothing. Apart from his grace we have nothing.

" If we follow our desires we cannot please God. You are no longer ruled by your desires, but by God's Spirit, who lives in you. People who don't have the Spirit of Christ in them don't belong to him. But Christ lives in you. So you are alive because God has accepted you, even though your bodies must die because of your sins. Yet God raised Jesus to life! God's Spirit now lives in you, and he will raise you to life by his Spirit.
My dear friends, we must not live to satisfy our desires. If you do, you will die. But you will live, if by the help of God's Spirit you say "No" to your desires. Only those people who are led by God's Spirit are his children. God's Spirit doesn't make us slaves who are afraid of him. Instead, we become his children and call him our Father. God's Spirit makes us sure that we are his children. His Spirit lets us know that together with Christ we will be given what God has promised. We will also share in the glory of Christ, because we have suffered with him.
A Wonderful Future for God's People I am sure that what we are suffering now cannot compare with the glory that will be shown to us. In fact, all creation is eagerly waiting for God to show who his children are. Meanwhile, creation is confused, but not because it wants to be confused. God made it this way in the hope that creation would be set free from decay and would share in the glorious freedom of his children. We know that all creation is still groaning and is in pain, like a woman about to give birth.
The Spirit makes us sure about what we will be in the future. But now we groan silently, while we wait for God to show that we are his children. This means that our bodies will also be set free. And this hope is what saves us. But if we already have what we hope for, there is no need to keep on hoping. However, we hope for something we have not yet seen, and we patiently wait for it." Romans 8:8-25

I pray that I would be reminded of this more often and live for Christ!