Wednesday, June 18

I Am So Vain... Ramblings of a Girl With Just the Right Amount of Insomnia

I've never thought of myself as a vain person and Facebook status updates don't usually float around in my mind longer than the seven seconds it takes to read them, but one I read yesterday did. I didn't even click “like” b/c I didn't exactly like it at the time—I didn't admit it to myself then, but it hit a bit too close to home. It was about vanity and selfishness and when I read it I thought, “So true... glad I'm not like that.”  I filed it away in the back of my mind where it stayed until I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't fall back to sleep.

I lay in bed and kept thinking about that status update (those of you who use Facebook, do you think your status updates aren't important? They're probably not, but they might be once in awhile!) I kept thinking about how Facebook can be very narcissistic, making people vain or revealing how vain they already were.  After all, how many of my own  status updates were written simply because I had something I thought was so clever, or because I wanted people to like me or notice me?

A very long time ago, the most inspiring man ever (who also happened to be God) said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, & take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the world and loses himself?” (Luke 9:23-25)

So while I couldn't sleep tonite, I realized why certain people who inspire me do. They inspire me because they gave infinitely more of their lives for other people. They “lost” their own lives, their own wills, and their own simple little pleasures that seemed so important until they realized deep down in their hearts that life did not revolve around them.

Florence Nightingale was beautiful. I portrayed her in a play for our Children's Church last year and read so much about her that I felt I truly knew her. She was witty, charming, and wealthy.  She had numerous suitors.  She went to balls in England's high society and lived a life of pleasure and seeming-contentment. But she was not content. She kept thinking of so many people who were hurting; she didn't even know them, but she was not content to continue living her life for herself when she knew she could do something about it. As for me, I find out a little bit about one person's sadness whom I know and my heart feels like it breaks in half for them.  But Florence Nightingale wanted to give up her life for people she didn't even know!

I realize God gives everyone their own place in the world where they can “lay down their life.” As a wife and homeschooling mother, I can't travel the world and relieve the pain of thousands of people as the lovely Florence Nightingale did, but I can at least look past my own vanity.  After all, the world doesn't revolve around me no matter how much I sometimes, if I'm honest with myself, wish it did.

Sometimes, I wake up with the dawn and I know Jesus wants me to pray. I think, “Yeah, I can pray in my bed where it's nice and cozy. There's nothing  wrong with that.” And then I fall back to sleep in less than a minute. Celena, you are a selfish, vain, lazy bum—people need you to pray for them! Maybe you don't agree, but prayer is more than words. It's a “sweet smelling incense” to God, it's more tangible than so many things you can do, it's a way to touch someone's life who you can't otherwise do anything for.  Crying out to God with passion is something we all need to do, but it is not something that happens when you simply go about your day and give God short tidbits of near-thoughtless prayers, or when you lay in bed half asleep.

So yesterday, after day upon day of a conviction I ignored, I got out of bed & actually got on my knees and prayed for real for the people on my heart. And after that, God made my day & blessed me in lotsa different little ways, & spoke to my heart. I lost my own will, my own “life” for just about 10 minutes & for that small, tiny (I know it was a very small, almost unmentionable sacrifice) He blessed me abundantly and gave me back whatever of my own “comfort” I might have lost.

If I feel that way because of something so simple, what will my life be, what kind of fulfillment will I have, if I truly follow Florence Nightingale's example and live always (or even half of always) for people who aren't me?

"The most important [commandment]," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."  Mark 12:29-31

17 comments:

  1. And that's my dose of conviction. I'm definitely in need of some time on my knees. Thanks for writing this lovely

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  2. Celena, you are inspiring! People who truly know you, and those who see you from a distance can see Christ in your life. Part of the reason I strive to know Him better is because I have seen what He does and what He can do in and through your life! Just know, YOU INSPIRE ME!

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  3. That I inspire anyone is beyond humbling! My relationship w/ God is not always what it should be & I do some pretty foolish things so I'm just glad He continues to love me & speak to my heart even though I'm a stinkin' sinner! My life's theme song is "I need Thee every hour" b/c I do...

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  4. This is a beautiful and thoughtful post. I struggle with this as well. I want to be more like Christ but my humanness, my physical body, wants to stay in comfort. It's hard to get over ourselves, isn't it?

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  5. Thank you for your inspiration to be a more Godly woman! :-)

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  6. Thank you for your post, I so understand. I have MS, gastroparesis, neuropathy, and more. I fall all the time,
    so talking about being on your knees, even both of my knees are replaced. God gave us his son, and I am so thankful of that, just sometimes things get overwelming and I fall back on "Why me", knowing he will not give me more than I can endure. For the past 2 1/2 years we've been staying with my husband's Mother. At first she didn't need us, but cried and carried on so much, we had to drive 1 hr one way to get to her house everyday. After she had eye surgery we just stayed there
    because of all the drops, then she didn't understand why we couldn't stay, now she is getting dementia and more demanding than ever. She has to have someone sitting in the same room with her. It's hard for me because I never know how I'm going to feel. But I've gotten over my resentment of her for taking our lives away. I just try to help as much as I can. My poor husband has 2 people to take care of, cook, clean, baths and drive around. God sent him to me and now to help his mother. My husband had a car accident and wasn't working. Now it's time for him to go to work and he can't and give her the level
    of care she needs. So with no money coming in, we have depleted all our savings and are pinching pennies that we don't have. I know there are so many people out there that have it worse than me, I understand, but those Why Me words crop up every so often, prayer is the only way to get over it. It's different each time, but I'm getting there. Thanks for listening. Take care, I will continue to follow you and pray for your family as I pray for mine.
    Have a peaceful week.

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  7. Thanks for the reminder that our prayers are "sweet smelling incense" to God. He wants to hear from us.

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  8. I loved reading this, you are very inspiring! You have such a beautiful family!

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  9. I know what you mean! I sometimes do the same thing.The Lord gets me up around 4 am!

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  10. I often find myself in a similar predicament

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  11. Isn't it fun how the Lord brings us to our knees, and makes things come around to realize we are NOT perfect, and we are in his debt for saving us. God is good. Amen and Amen! He get me up at the weirdest times, he has me praying in the weirdest places,sometimes I wonder if its me being just strange, but I know in my heart he has called me to remind me of my short comings.I totally understand where this for you is coming from-- and Thank you so much for all your hard works and efforts.

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  12. So inspiring and so much truth. Here I am up with my usual insomnia and a sore throat to boot. It just seems to me like now might be a great time for me to get on my knees as well. Beautifully written, thank you.

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  13. Thank you....this is truly inspiring!

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  14. I also have Insomnia this has given me great inspiration.

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  15. I couldn't agree with you more on your thoughts about prayer. It's more than uttering words. For me it's a ritual that'svery precious. A sacred moment in which I share all me with God and Jesus. When I pray I feel that I have their undivided attention.

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  16. What a wonderful and inspiring post! Thanks for the reminder. :)

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  17. Wow!! Such an amazing and inspiring post ...Thanks so much for this great post...Many blessings to everyone...

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