The other day someone on www.tallyscrapper.com directed us to the photos in the collage above. These are photos of a scrapbook room like no other. Everything is brand new. Everything has the perfectly selected place. Everything is available in abundance. I included only a small sampling of the photos of this shrine to scrapbooking. While looking at them I started to feel a little ill. Now I know nothing of the owner of said scrapbook room, so this isn't a judgement on her specifically. But looking at that room made me think of Matthew 19, and the story of the Rich Young Ruler. So often we want to know the formula for achieving perfection. Just tell us what would make it perfect, and we will go about with the plan. This woman certainly did her research and her execution was flawless. She arrived at the place in the story where she could say, "All these things kept; what am I still lacking?" In the Bible story one supposes the earnest young man sensed a lack, even after following the laws. He was seeking something deeper, I think in all sincerity. Jesus knew this man's heart. He knew that what was blocking this man's ability to have a true and deep relationship with God was his preoccupation with the external. With the things of this earth. So Jesus told him to lay them down.
Having a $200,000 scrapbook room or working out of a paper bag with a glue stick isn't the point. It is neither a formula for success to have it all or have nothing. The formula for success only has one step: turning everything and everyone over to God, and listening to His Spirit guiding us each step of the day. There is no checklist. God wants a personal, involved relationship with us at which He is the head.
It is interesting to me that Jesus said, "If you wish to be complete..." I'm sure the man was put off by this remark. If this woman were to ask us "Can you think of anything else I am missing?" She would not expect to hear "If you wish to be complete..." Especially if after all her hard work to make this room just right the solution would be to sell it all and give the proceeds to the poor. It would seem counterproductive to all her research, hard work and she certainly would be getting pennies on the dollar. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying she needs to do any such thing. I wouldn't know what she needs to do, if anything. Because the Word of God is a living thing, personal to each of us, meeting us where we are at, divining what is in our heart of hearts, separating bone from marrow.
For those of you following along, journal about being consumed. Do you have something or someone in your life that you feel unbalanced about? Is there something or someone that is the focus of most of your thoughts, time and resources? What is the center of your universe? Reflect on this obsession and how it affects your daily life.
wow minda. consumed.....i plan to complete all these when you are finished. i need some time to think about each one.
Posted by: tami | April 29, 2008 at 05:39 AM
WOW. Love this. Off to devour the other spiritual journal pages.
Posted by: Leah Crowe | April 29, 2008 at 07:46 PM