All About Me

They say the "me" stage of life is the 2-3 year old range. ("hold me"; "me do it myself"; mine" - you know how it goes - if not just borrow a 2 year old for the afternoon!) I don't want to discourage those of you with small children, but.... the truth is, it doesn't end any time soon and for some I dare say, it never ends. The reason I can be so sure of that is I have a fifteen year old son. As we got in the car to go to school this morning and again, when I picked him up for doctor's appointment, the "all about me's" reared its ugly head.

"Stop, Wait! I forgot something!"; "Hurry up - Go"; "You're gonna make me late." (what happened to stop wait? I don't think it was me that said that); "Pick me up at 10:00.... & 2:30 - don't be late"; "Take me to Staples. I need a new pencil."; Take me to eat first, then we can go to Stapeles if we have time. If we don't have time now, you can take me when you pick me up at 2:30"; "We have plenty of time. Take me to Staples"; "Get me back to school right at 11:35."; "Pick me up at 2:30."

Now don't get me wrong, he's a great kid; but he definitely has a case of the "all about me's"! I guess he hasn't read the first line of Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life... "It's not about you." Not that I'm sure that would make a difference. I have read it and I still have trouble with the "all about me's" way too often; and even when I'm not in the "all about me's" I tend to move over to the "poor me's". "Poor me, I always come last." "Poor me, I never get time to myself." "Poor me, I do all the work around here." "Poor me, we never do what I want to do." "Poor me...." Sound familiar?

It's so easy to get there and much more difficult to get out of than into. But, it can be done. One of the things I've found helpful in overcoming the "all about me's" and "poor me's", is starting my day focusing on God. I do this by thanking God for giving me one more day and then ask him to show me what HE wants for me to do and accomplish today. In doing so at least for a little while I take the focus off of me and put it where it belongs - on God.

"We do not live or die for ourselves.

If we live, we are living for the Lord, and if we die, we are dying for the Lord.

So living or dying, we belong to the Lord." Romans 14:7-8 NCV

My prayer:

Lord, I thank you for this day. I know that it is a gift from you and I do not know how many more I will have. Show me what you would have me do today. Help me to prioritize my day in accordance with your will. Show me how to overcome the "all about me's" and to embrace the "all about God's", and give me the strenth and courage to do so. In doing so, may I be a good example to my family and those around me. Thank you for loving me even when I fall short. Amen.