23 piece bedroom ensemble

i gave the Love of My Life a pair of sperry top siders for his birthday. unfortunately, they weren't the exact style he had in mind, so off to the mall we went last night. i have such fun when we go to the mall together- LOML sees the things i never notice when we shop...like the sign that said, "23 piece bedroom ensemble." we laughed and laughed. who wants 23 pieces of "bedroom" that match? what exactly is included in these 23 pieces?
my list includes:
1 duvet cover
2 standard shams
6 accent pillows
2 fitted sheets
2 top sheets
4 standard pillow cases
1 bedskirt
1 accent rug(?)
4 curtain panels
total: 23 matching pieces


i was thinking about that this morning...and how my life has been like the 23 piece bedroom ensemble. i grew up in the "christian" home (check), attended the private school (check), was involved in any activity my heart desired (piano, ballet, volleyball, student council, cheerleading, cross country, track, debutant balls, the list goes on and on)(check). i had my heart set on auburn and living in the quad my freshman year (double check); join the sorority of my choosing (check); major in education (check); get engaged before graduation (check); graduate (check); get married (check); get a job (check). everything i had ever planned fell perfectly into place, exactly as i had predetermined it would. my planning really only got as far as the getting married part and then only as general as having children and raising them. my 23 piece bedroom ensemble matched perfectly and was exactly what i had wanted all along.

remember how i mentioned the 10 minutes a day spent in prayer and how that hadn't worked out for me? and how i felt guilty because i was letting God down. i had been content with vanilla-coated moralism christianity. God has been sloughing that off of me using means in which i had never imagined. my "plan" that so perfectly coordinated with the rest of my life, has been torn to shreds, one little piece at a time. today is a day that i'm reminded of the pile of shreds that i'm sitting in. how could i ever think that i was in control of my life? and who am i to expect that God give me an explanation? earth is His footstool (isaiah 66:1)...He doesn't owe me anything. i must be content knowing that my Redeemer loves me, and pursues me with a vengeance.

have you ever had those experiences, whether it be a sermon, a conversation, a book, that you felt was spoken/written just for you...just for your circumstances at that very moment in time? this happened to me this morning. i read a prayer on this amazing woman's blog. and i'd like to share it here with you:

Lord, what do you have planned for my life today? i humbly submit to your will, not my own. give me a fresh dose of grace. guard my heart and mind from comparison to others- how i wish i had thier gifts, their call...may i embrace my own cup and be found faithful, loving, and kind. Amen.

i pray that prayer for my own heart, especially today.