As-Is

Nosotros le amamos a Él, porque Él nos amó primero. ~1 Juan 4:19
We love because He first loved us.

This past week, I have been enjoying one of the dearest gifts one friend can give another: a borrowed book. 

It's one thing to receive a fresh-off-the-shelf, brand-new book from your wishlist, wrapped in shiny paper with your name on it.  I love those books because they are untouched, unopened, waiting for someone to discover them.  It's another thing to receive a well-loved, borrowed book.  Although you have no claim over the book itself, there is something delicious about sharing those pages, those thoughts with another soul.  

The pages I have been savoring come from a book called Cold Tangerines, by Shauna Niequist.  It is a collection of short stories that Shauna tells to celebrate "the extraordinary nature of everyday life."  One of the most powerful lessons I have carried away from this book has been this simple fact:  There is nothing more sacred or profound than this day.  

Admittedly, this truth is easy for me to nod my head in agreement, but harder to swallow.  Let me be honest with you:  I am notorious for getting ahead of myself.  "And Holly is ten years down the road," my friends tease.  Maybe it stems from that old scout motto 'be prepared,' tucked away after years of Girl Scout badges and boxes of cookies. Perhaps it has to do with being the oldest sibling, the forerunner who keeps her eyes focused on the next milestone. But maybe, just maybe, it actually has something to do with my sinful heart.

How much time do we spend squinting into the horizon, while the moments in front of us fall out of focus?  Are we blinded by ambition, by the hope of what tomorrow will bring, and miss out on the precious gift of today?  Shauna concludes with this thought: "Today is your big moment. Moments, really. The life you've been waiting for is happening all around you. You have stories worth telling, memories worth remembering, dreams worth working toward, a body worth feeding, a soul worth tending, and beyond that, the God of the universe dwells within you, the true culmination of super and natural."

God loves me as-is. Today, right now, this moment.  Even if I never get my act together, even if I never get those stubborn ducks in a row. He has laid down His life for me so that I can live out today for Him.

Speaking of glimpsing into the future, here is a photo of what some of my fifth graders will look like in a hundred years!  We celebrated our 100th day of school by dressing up like 100-year-old ladies and gentlemen.  I think they are absolutely darling.