So many things that are big to us are small in God’s eyes. What difference that I’ve been hurt at times? The bigger design is God’s design and the hurtful is God’s tool. Sometimes heavy and sharp because I am unyielding. A man is nothing but skin and bones. A pile of ashes soon. God’s life breathed into man brings life to God’s purpose.

The spiritual journey speaks from the inside out. God gives us our experiences because each individual life is what he wants to share. We let our pride get in the way.

In the name of God we shout out our opinions. That’s pride. We speculate on the results. Pride once again. It’s not our opinion that God wants.

God’s is a deeper, vulnerable love. God above all has reason to be prideful, but he is not. He wants the same of us.

If we focus on changing minds, we’re nothing – shouters in a sea of shouters. But… if we give of ourselves, there’s nothing to argue about is there? No pride. No working hard to be heard right. Only our stories coming together in a long narrative that is God’s.

I picture God looking upon us with sadness because we argue so much. Because we use him as a tool for our design. We are hurtful. We use his name in vain.

Among others, these three commandments he has etched in stone (Deuteronomy 5:7-11 MSG):

1. No other gods, only me.
2. No carved gods of any size, shape, or form of anything whatever…
3. No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter.

Let it be so.