The Best Things in Life...And All That Jazz

Here is something that I hate to do: Car Shop.

Here is what my husband and I have been doing for the last month: Car Shopping.

Here is our problem: If it's in our price range, it's got too many miles, is too old, has been totaled, doesn't start, doesn't work, etc. If it's our dream car, it's too expensive or if it's actually in our price range, it gets bought six hours before we're scheduled to see it.

AURGH.

I've decided we need to go back to the good ol' days of horse and buggy. Granted, it would take us about two weeks to go see my in-laws, but carrots are way cheaper than gas these days.

You want to know what our problem is? My husband and I are picky. And we know it. We want a car that seats at least five (why, you ask? Considering we have no children, it's a good question). We want a car that has never been in an accident, does not need major work done on it and has less than the 217,000 miles that one guy's car had (oy!). And Jon, my husband, wants four-wheel drive. Me? For the longest time, I thought that all cars were four-wheel drive because, duh, every car has four wheels.

This is not the case, however. So, I leave the mechanical stuff to Jon. Obviously, this is a good thing.

This is not the only area of my life that I'm picky though. I hate to confess this, seeing as how I'm trying to stick to a grocery budget lately, but the only bread I buy is Sara Lee. It's incredibly tasty (and expensive). It puts all the rest of the breads on the bread aisle to shame (thus the expensive part). I'm picky when it comes to pictures of me, or the brand of gum I chew, or how my hair looks. I'm even one of those people who cares how the bed is made.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm picky when it comes to God.

God and I can be on fabulous terms when it's a gorgeous, sunshiny day and everything is just going perfectly, according to my plans.

Then, something doesn't quite go as I hoped. I get a "no, you need to wait" from God instead of the "yep, here you go!" that I was hoping for. Someone I love is hurting. A prayer that I prayed doesn't get answered. And suddenly, the praise aspects of my prayers are exchanged for a string of whys.

I've been learning a ton lately about worship. And in Romans 11, Paul gives us the "why" of worship: "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord and who has become His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to Him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. "

Paul starts the next chapter with the infamous verse, "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."

Even when we don't get what we think we need, want or desire, God is still the Holy One. We don't know the mind of the Lord, but we do know that His wisdom is unfathomable. And that is deserving of praise - even when we are disappointed.

I'm going to try to remember that praise isn't like scarves, only a seasonal thing. And in the meantime? I'm going to go research bicycles.

Have a great day!

Erynn :)