“We
are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when
infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making
mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.
We are far too easily pleased.”
-C.S.
Lewis
Oh how content I’ve been with making mud pies these days.
And how tired I am of it.
As I write this, I am struggling to remember the last time I sat, truly sat and wondered at the splendor, the pure majesty and utter holiness of God and the infinite joy He has to offer those who choose to pursue a relationship with Him. I am a dirty little child, sitting in the filth of approval-seeking, of busyness, of trivial pursuits that have absolutely no root in the Kingdom.
And daily, daily, Christ beckons me further into a relationship with Him, into the reckless freedom He gives those who find their true value, purpose, and worth in His name, and yet I smile up at Him with my mud-caked face, my grimy little hands never slowing for a second, and tell my sweet Savior just how content I am with this filth, that His glorious riches, His holiday at the sea, could not possibly compare with this place of which I find myself a resident so often.
How far too easily pleased I am.
It’s funny, because looking back on when I started this whole World Race process, I thought that the closer I got to the Race, and ultimately, the further I got into the Race, the more like Christ I would become. And seeing myself now, two months later, I can’t help but chuckle.
Now, I haven’t stopped believing that God is going to radically change my life on this Race; on the contrary, I quite firmly believe that I will be wrecked, my life and perspective turned upside down forever. I just never thought that this waiting period, this time of preparation, would be this difficult; and not because life is hard right now, but because life is so good, so rich and full of blessings I feel greatly unworthy of, yet strive so hard to maintain. What a twisted cycle I thrust myself into. I don’t doubt that complacency, comfort even, is the most destructive tool that Satan uses. Yet how blind I am to the power this tool has in my own life.
So this week, my goal is to take a step back, to take time to truly meditate on the sublime goodness and holiness of the God I serve. Maybe you can join with me and do the same. Let Jesus lead you to that “holiday at the sea.” The road won’t be easy, but I can promise you that those mud pies will gradually begin to fade in comparison.
No more “easily pleased.”
I’m ready for my holiday.
