“How Deep Is The Mud?”
Whose idea was it for me to write the LCS blog the first week back to school during a pandemic? I immediately felt the pressure to write something profound and inspiring…something that would make you say, “Wow, that girl is so wise beyond her years!” But then I decided to take the pressure off and write what I felt that God had placed on my heart.
How deep is the mud? I recently came across an image of two dogs standing in the mud, one was very short and the other was much taller. You may have seen the image on Facebook. The mud was up to the neck of the short dog and only halfway up the legs of the taller dog. The message was that we all go through the same stuff differently. This has never been more true!
Mask or no mask, on campus or online schooling, social distance or resume life as normal, everyone feels passionately about what they believe is right, and most people aren’t afraid to tell you what you should believe as well. I found myself feeling so confused about what I was supposed to think. I became so inward focused.
Have you ever sung a song that you have sung so many times before, and the words just hit you in a new way, like a punch in the gut? I could only mouth the words…
“Bring me to my knees, Lord I lay me down. Rid me of myself, I belong to you”.
RID ME OF MYSELF…this has become my prayer lately.
Rid me of all fear.
Rid me of all self-absorption.
Rid me of my judgmental ways.
Rid me of my constant striving to earn Your approval.
Rid me of my constant grumbling.
God has been working in my heart this summer, and instead of focusing on circumstances, I am choosing to focus on the unchanging truths of God’s Word. I am choosing to remember that people will experience the same things in different ways. We were reminded by Dr. Sligh this week to not assign motives to someone who doesn’t agree with our way of thinking…man, that’s a challenge, because I am so good at assigning or assuming motives for others. I am focusing on experiencing true joy instead of a happiness that is only circumstantial. I am trying to guard my imagination from the “what ifs” and meditate on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. I have to be in the Word every day or I will easily stay inward focused and not be reminded that my confidence is in God no matter what is going on.
As we start another school year, I will be praying for our LCS families. Although things are far from normal right now, I can’t wait to see what God has in store for LCS this year!