Loving the person or the blessing?

Hey everyone,

Well, the infections are healing up but my right ankle is still pretty swollen. So I've still been a bit laid up around the house and I'm itching to get back to mauling harl and mixing concrete.

Just some food for thought today since I haven't done much that is worth blogging about. The other day I was walking on the street and a few kids that I had never met came up to me to ask/beg me for things. Obviously a big part of our ministry is giving to those in need but as the summer has gone on it has gotten more and more difficult for me to bear with all the begging each day. The worst is when you can tell that they look at you merely as a dollar sign rather than a person who desires to build a relationship with them. So as I was walking a bit frustrated by the encounter, it all of a sudden hit me that I do exactly the same thing.

Often I talk with God because I need/want things. Now of course our heavenly father loves to lavish gifts upon us but what is it that he really wants us to be satisfied with? HIM. I felt so convicted about how often I'm only satisfied with the blessings of God rather with the person of God. And I think it reveals that fatal flaw that we all have-- that I'm more in love with myself and meeting my own desires than I am in love with God. I am just like those kids sometimes that don't care about building a relationship, they just want to use me for what I can give them.

I can't believe it took me all summer to realize this but I thought it was worth sharing.

Only 8 more days, such a bittersweet end to the summer.

Much love,

AdamE