My Pinata

I had so many different feelings while writing yesterday's blog entry. This whole idea of going after the prize with everything we had just to realize that what we got in the end was one thrilling moment and a bag full of candy we aren't that interested in rattled around in my head for a couple weeks. As we all know, when we start thinking about something like that, examples start popping into our minds like crazy. And they aren't always pretty!

When I was a teenager, I wanted to be a published author. I had so many ideas in my mind of different books and story lines. I even wrote a few chapters here and there. But you know what I spent the most of my time on? The dedication page.

Steve still teases me about that. After all, it is much more important to write the contents of the book than to write a page that won't ever be seen without a book to put it in, right?

Looking at it closely, though, it completely exemplifies the whole pinata problem. I was more excited about seeing the reaction of the people who I chose to dedicate my book to, than I was about writing the book itself. I wanted someone to put their hands on my shoulders and say, "Wow, it really means something to me that you acknowledged me like that."

What I try to do now when I feel like I might be picking up my pinata-whacking stick is ask myself a simple question. Am I doing this for honor from people, or am I doing it to honor God?

I still sometimes find myself blindfolded, spun around, and swinging wildly into the air. I check myself many times to make sure that I am thinking of the ministry I am doing instead of the recognition that sometimes comes from it.

It's kind of like what happens after a woman has a baby. She's been uncomfortable and sick for 40 weeks, she's been in labor for who knows how many hours, she's endured pushing or a surgeon's knife, and finally the baby is born. She doesn't need anyone to tell her that she has done a great job, because the work she did doesn't really matter to her anymore. The pain doesn't even matter anymore. It's all about the enormity of her love for this precious little baby.

When we enter heaven's gates, the struggles and difficulties of this life will be mere afterthought. It will no longer be about the earthly recognition we received or didn't receive. When we feel the magnificence of God's love for us unhindered by our personal sin, that's all the riches and fame we'll ever need.