"Welcome to the planet. Welcome to existence. Everyone's here. Everyone's here. Everybody's watching you now. Everybody waits for you now. What happens next? What happens next? I dare you to move. I dare you to move. I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor. I dare you to move. I dare you to move like today never happened. Today never happened..."
-Switchfoot
"There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. - Luke 15:11-24
I don't know who I've become. I love God yet I don't do what I ought to do. I love God yet I do what I shouldn't do. I don't want to offend my Savior. I don't want to disobey my Father in Heaven. But I am selfish and weak willed and constantly find myself neck-deep in the stench of my sinfulness. I've broken my Savior's heart countless times. I've troubled the One who came from His Holy place in Heaven and dwealth amongst us; born in a barn where cattle lived. I've treated my incredible inheritance from God as though it is worthless. God please forgive me for being so shallow; forgive me for caring more for selfish desires and plans than for you; forgive me for my lack of patience and kindness for others; forgive me for the terrible thoughts that come to mind, which I allow to dance there and entertain me; forgive me for falling short of the mark you've set for me.
I went to confession today. What an incredible grace Jesus left for us. I realized some things about myself recently that I wasn't proud of. I thank God for revealing my heart to me so that I can offer it to him. Last weekend I was really unhappy about what I saw. I don't know who I've become lately.
"The tension is here between who you are and who you could be; between how it is and how it should be." -Switchfoot
I don't want to fade away. I don't want to grow weary and fall behind. I don't want to lose my way and wander aimlessly. I want to be who I was made to be. I want my life and the lives of everyone I encounter to be what they should be. So today I moved like "today" never happened. I got myself up off the floor and stood strong like the son of God that I am.
Mercy is an incredible thing. And my Father in Heaven was pleased with me for coming back to Him.
Maybe redemption has stories to tell. Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell. Where can you run to escape yourself? Where you gonna go? Where you gonna go? Salvation is here! - Switchfoot
Hallelujah! Salvation is here. Fact is, none of us can really lift ourselves up off the floor without assistance. We can't be holy and righteouss on our own. We need God to come lift us up off the floor.
"When it is a question of a sinner He [God] does not merely stand still, open His arms and say, "Come here;" no, He goes forth to seek, as the shepherd sought the lost sheep, as the woman sought the lost coin. He goes- yet no, He has gone, but infinitely farther than any shepherd or any woman. He went the infinitely long way from being God to becoming man, from being exulted to being crucified, and that way He went in search of sinners." - Soren Kierkegaard
Do you find yourself a long ways from who you were meant to be? Have you stumbled and fallen into sin? Is your heart far from God? I dare you to move. I dare you to get on your knees and tell Him you miss Him. He's right there beside you. He has never left you. Salvation is here!
