emulation and condemnation....

so i've been a Christian for about eight or so years now. some days i wish i knew exactly when that happened, but what does it really matter when, just that it did, amen.

some days i'm in awe of other Christians, especially those who were either raised in a Godly household or have been walking with the Lord for many, many years. what i find myself drawn to are how grounded they can be in every day situations. i can usually evoke a rather Godly outlook on the bigger situations and look upon them as trials and growth experiences. but it's in the day-to-day areas i stumble much more.

so they say "imitation is the greatest form of flattery"...and successful people always tell you to find someone who's already successful at something and copy them. but here's what can happen if you're not careful........

you can quickly find yourself in the town called COMDEMNATIONVILLE! in this town, no one ever lives up to their potential and it's filled with despair, doom and gloom baby!..."i can't do what they do, i'm not as grounded as they are, i'm too emotional to react that way", and on and on and on....

so the Lord so graciously showed me this...we are all like a "stew" so to speak, made up of many, many ingredients that all work to make it taste GOOD! as my wise ole pastor once pointed out (using the same analogy but with chocolate chip cookies.....he likes his sweets, lol)...some of those ingredients alone are not so hot to eat, but it's the combination that works! another words, our lives are all very different, filled with combinations of what make them up each day....so how could one successfully emulate another, who has a different life and circumstances, and come out the same? the answer is....you can't.

so take the pieces of what you see, admire, or desire to aspire to and COMBINE them with who YOU are! the result will be residence in PEACEFUL VALLEY, amen!