:: In.a.Mirror.Dimly ::

I surround myself. In search of comfort, identity, and esteem, I surround myself with possessions, clothing, and goals. Depending on what I acquire or accomplish, I derive an identity.

This isn’t all bad. We need food, shelter, and clothing, and we derive them from our surroundings to a certain degree. We need some kind of work, which can be done as an act of worship.

However, at a certain point I forget the words of Job, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart.” These goals become larger than warranted.

That’s a jarring way of saying that one day our surroundings, which are important in their own way and serve a function, will one day be stripped away. It will just be us and God.

What will we have then?

The book of Isaiah recounts a particularly tumultuous time in the history of Israel and Judah: the rise of Assyria and its subsequent invasions of their lands. As cities, fields, and people were destroyed one by one, Isaiah reminded the people of the only untouchable element of their lives: their relationship with God.

Each day I open up my computer praying for good news from various editors and wracking my brain for fresh writing ideas that will dazzle a new group of them. I have a lot of goals that I’m straining to attain.

However, will I have anything left when all of this life is stripped away? Am I clothed in my relationship with God? Do I desire to live with him, to serve him, and to do his will today?

That is the sure path to surrounding ourselves with what matters most and endures to the end.