Impressing God

From page 20: "Our huffing and puffing to impress God, our scrambling for brownie points, our thrashing about trying to fix ourselves while hiding our pettiness and wallowing in guilt are nauseating to God and are a flat denial of the gospel of grace." 

Manning illustrates it with this quote:
     "Our approach to the Christian life is as absurd as the enthusiastic young man who had just received his plumber's license and was taken to see Niagara Falls.  He studied it for a minute and then said, "I think I can fix this" (Taken from Anthony De Mello, Taking Flight: A Book of Story Meditations (New York: Doubleday, 1988), p. 105)

I know this will come as a complete shock to some of you, but I was pretty much a know-it-all in college who hoped to teach the professors, and my fellow students, a thing or two.  I was like the young man walking out of the commencement program, diploma in hand, saying, "Look out world, I have my BA!"  God's voice from heaven said, "Sit down son and I'll teach you the rest of the alphabet."

It is interesting how life's lesson trim away at the sharp edges and makes us a little smoother and hopefully easier to get along with.  Much of that earlier attitude was a survival mentality, having come from an alcoholic home and needing to be the family hero.  Through it all I realized that God doesn't need my help, especially when it comes to my salvation.  I don't bring anything to the table.  That is a freeing thought so long as I let go of my codependent desire to be good enough to save myself!

At the end of the day I come to the conclusion that I truly am a ragamuffin and I have a God who, for some strange reason, desires to show me the rest of the alphabet!

Okay, now it's your turn.  Any thoughts on the quote or my ramblings?

Painful Process

Had coffee today with my friend Paul.  He was asking how things were going.  I told him I felt a little like Morrie in the movie, Tuesdays With Morrie (also the best seller by Mitch Albom).  Morrie is battling with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease).  Morrie has this physical therapist come in on a regular basis to literally hit and massage him in order to keep the muscle and nerves going.  It's a painful process but it prolongs his life and mobility.

I feel like God is the Great Physical Therapist who is working me over.  At the time it seems painful but it brings about positive results.  I don't want to atrophy so I put up with the treatments!

How about you?  Is God working you over?