Ikea

My wife and I went to Ikea today to get some stuff to organize the toys in the playroom. I absolutely can not stand this store. If you have ever been to an Ikea, you know that you have to walk all the way through the store to get to the check out area - not a straight shot. There is a path that flows through the store like a maze that literally takes you through ever department. There are arrows on the floor that let you know you are going the right direction and every now and then, you will cross a special section of flooring that says "50,000 people walk across this per week" or something like that. Anyway, all the stuff we were there to get was at the end of the path in the warehouse. Along the way, we stopped and looked a bunch of junk and picked up a few odds and ends that I thought we needed at the house like those little scented candles. We ended up spending about an hour in Ikea and spent a total of about 10 minutes on the stuff we actually went there to buy. Basically it really hard to walk straight through Ikea to what you need and get out - lots of distractions along the way.

This evening my wife and I went out to dinner with our life group (a group of christians that do life together) and got a little worship in on the drive over. One of my favorite tunes was playing - "Jesus Paid it All". I worship daily and never get tired of listening to great songs with great messages. Among many things, this song really reminds me about the grace of Jesus Christ. It reminds me that there is a path paved in love that Jesus paid for. We all know that there is a path in front of us that will end at the entrance to the Kingdom of God. There are however distractions all along the way that the enemy will put in place to cause us to stray off of the path. Walking the path to everlasting life is not a simple straight shot, we have to walk through every department until we get to the end. "Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path" Ps 119:105 NIV. This verse is so important when it comes to navigating the maze. It has been very hard for me personally to get in the habit of reading my Bible everyday - I am getting better, but it is still a bit of a challenge. I will say that everytime I open it I find encouragement, wisdom, guidance, and ANSWERS.... It truly is a light unto my path and when I get distracted, I can always find my way back because that light is always there....

One of my favorites and for sure my favorite version of the song (if you have 5 minutes or so):