The Image of God

According to recent tradition, I'm going to post something another of my friends wrote. I know, I should be writing, but my friends are just so deep and insightful! So, in the next few days, I think I'll being doing more of this...
This time, I'm going to let Heather do the talking. (There's a link to her blog just to the right--check it out! This isn't the only great thing she's written.) Heather is someone who I just really like, and who I respect even more. She has this amazing heart for God that always inspires me. We often joke we share a mind since we always seem to be thinking about the same things. But this one took me a little by surprise when she brought up something I often experience but usually try to forget about. I love a friend who will step on your toes.

Francis Chan talked to us about praying and God in a way that COMPLETELY shook me. I seriously..no joke..was soo scared when he was talking about this. It was unbelievable.So he started off the entire conference by saying that he isn't meaning to judge, but that he's not sure how many of us really mean it when we sing:"There is none more High and Holy, King of Kings, the One and Only, You are adored, You are the Lord of all" Hmmm. so honestly, I was kinda offended by this. I know that I shouldn't have been, because what he said is soo true! I can truthfully say that I don't always put my whole heart into worshipping. I often find myself thinking about other things when I'm worshipping! How awful is that?! There are also many times when I know I am worshipping God full heartedly, but shouldn't that be the case all the time? Francis talked about how when we pray, we are praying to an ALMIGHTY God who deserves ALL of our attention!So why is it that when you're praying at night, it goes like this:"Dear God, thank you so much for this amazing day! You are so awesome! and ohmygoodness he is sooo cutee!! I can't wait to see him tomorrow! ahh I can't believe what happened today....crazy! oh crap..and God, thank you helping me to understand that you will always be there for me! no matter what! oh boy i can't wait for next friday!! it's gonna be soooo much fun!! and camp adventure! oh I hope I have a good co counselor! Mexico too!! woo!! ughh..I have algebra on tuesday..YUCK! oh shoot..sorry God! In Jesus name I pray, amen"Ok. So maybe it's just me. But I seem to have a lot of trouble staying on topic and FOCUSING on ONLY God..which is soo horrible!But then Francis helped us to see what God really looks like.Which is not a young guy with a white, flowing beard.Or a tall man with a long, brown beard.Say you have a friend, his name is Tyler.Tyler is kind of stalky, with short brown hair, and very muscular.But you don't want to believe he looks like that, so you think he is tall and thin, with long blonde hair.Your other friend Maddie thinks that Tyler is short and round, with jet black, and spiked hair.Woah! What does he really look like then? Does your believing that he looks one way mean that's what he looks like? NO! It just means you're delusional...but you can't change the way he looks because that's what you think!It's the same way with God!We have this vision of Him in our heads, and for everyone He is different! But God even tells us what He looks like..if we would just take the time to read it!Seriously. Read that description of God, when Francis described it, it gave me shivers, it was SO real to me! I can't imagine falling asleep while praying with THATimage of God in my head!After you read that, think.."If God is for me, who can be against me?"