Reality Again

You all know that I am always stressing the idea of reality vs the fake nature of our society.  We don't need more fake people ... we need real people that are broken yet redeemed ... real humans who don't run from our humanity but embrace the Christ who is fully human and perfectly God ... people who live with hearts of flesh and not hearts of stone tablets ... just folks who know their roots and can be good with their new roots that (Paul said) go down deep into God (Ephesians 3:17).  Josh wrote a blog to the youth (http://whoopingalpaca.blogspot.com/) in which he calls out youth who deal in half truths.  But today I am speaking to adults who are perfectly willing to do life in the unreality of glamor, pride, self-promotion, and being caught up in our lifestyles of the 'wanna be rich and famous.'  I have a friend who has been so caught up in the lifestyle of the pretty people in SRB that they have disappeared from all other social interaction.  They have left their church roots and sent down roots to become another pretty/handsome face on the society page ... but they have left their first love that gave them new life from a very dark episode.  I have another friend who seems to be caught in the life of spinning life's events so that others will view them as smart, together and in control.  This person has forgotten the Bible's axiom that all of us a messed up and broken and that God is OK with honest broken people who come to Him for help (by the way, that person is the only person who doesn't see their brokenness).  The Bible doesn't promote self-help ... it promotes reliance upon God.  We go to God with our burdens and find that though he places a yoke upon us it is an easy yoke and a light burden (Matthew 11:28-30).  There we will find rest for our souls!  Finally, I have other friends who is seeking fame and success for their teen daughter.  What do they call success?  Being up front on life's stage.  Pressing this young girl into all of the things they view as success.  Nothing in this plan is based on God's idea of success ... God's idea of what is real ... God's view of the purpose of this child who is being sold out by her own parents.  I want to scream what should be evident from the stories of the fallen stars, the shattered lives and the bitter pain I have seen lived out ... not in the glamor of the stage but in the dirt of the gutter.  STOP!  Life is precious.  Real things are to be cherished, valued, nourished and grown.  The leaders in the rat race are still rats!  I love the lyrics written by Carolyn Arends that say ... 

Farther than lands you have ever imagined
Deeper than even the oceans of blue
An open horizon is waiting like morning
Waking the dreamer who's living in you

So now go with the wind at your back
And the sun on your face
With a song in your heart
And the promise of grace

Go in peace and in truth
And let love lead your way
Go with God
Go with God