Living Sacrifice

It has been one tiring day just squeezed into a very tiring week! I hope you are feeling more relaxed than I am. I am in desperate need of a day at the spa...well, not need...but it would be absolutely fantastic if I could have one!
On Tuesday a tornado touched down in my parent's neighborhood. They are fine...Archie, their dog, is fine...but the backyard which they have been laboring over for weeks (years really) to get in prime condition has been destroyed. The fence. The fire pit. The auning (or however you spell that). Trees are all over the place. While the hammock is still attached to the trunks of the trees it swings from, poison oak has been tangled up in it...just a guess, but my parents may get a different hammock instead of reusing that one. However, the house was completely untouched! The garage my father built...the tree which stretched out over it laid in front of the garage door. I should say 'placed' in front of the garage door...you and I both know God kept the tree from destroying my father's work of art!
Isn't that just incredible that God protected my parent's home. In fact, not a single home was destroyed. Some cars were damaged, but no homes, and no lives were taken. Praise God! I love hearing about daily miracles taking place!
So, for some reason I have had a song stuck in my head, so I did a little research. Every now and then you may come across the reason behind why a song was written. For example, Natalie Grant recalled the reason behind her song "Held" at a concert of hers that I went to. She had very dear friends that had been trying to have a baby for 10 years. Finally, they conceived and were full of thanksgiving! Of course! 10 years had been a long time. Then, 2 months after the baby was born, their baby was taken to be with the Lord. Oh the heartbreak! Every time I hear that song, and the lines "Two months is too little. They let him go, they had no sudden healing. To think that providence would take a child from his mother while he lay is appalling"...I just tear up. Knowing the story behind a song gives the lines new meaning.
The band BlueTree wrote the familiar song, "God of this City." I was speechless when I heard that song's story...chills made the hair on my arms raise...it was a beautiful moment when I learned about the song, and I so wished I had been there when God wrote the song upon BlueTree's lips. BlueTree is a band from Belfast, and they toured Thailand a few years ago. They were looking for a place to play and came across a bar. They were granted permission to play a show at the bar...what a great opportunity to sing God's praises and witness at a place where many looked to the bottom of a beer bottle for comfort rather than Jesus Christ. Well, as BlueTree was performing, they looked up to see all of these girls, ranging from children through teens, being auctioned off to top bidders. The lead singer recalls thinking that this was not where they were supposed to be...how could God be letting this happen?! All of a sudden he starts singing 'You're the God of this city. You're the God of these people. You're the Lord of this nation, You are. You're the light in this darkness. You're the hope to the hopeless. You're the peace to the restless, You are. And there is no one like our God. There is no one like You God. Greater things are yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city."
Wow. A song never rehearsed. Lyrics not even thought of. God's promise about that city was coming through BlueTree. Greater things are still to be done in this city. You are the God of this city, these people, this nation. Does that not give you chills as well?
Well, the song I have had stuck in my head is one you may be familiar with. "Take My Life and Let it Be." I googled it to find a little more about it. Turns out, in 1874 a man by the name of Frances R Havergal was inspired to write this song based on one scripture alone. Romans 12:1. "Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship." When I read that this song was inspired by this verse, one of my favorite verses in the Bible, it made complete sense. This song is a prayer of making every part of your body holy and pleasing to God...that your life may be lived for Him. Let's make it our prayer.
Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord to thee.
Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice and let me sing always only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.
Take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my intellect and use every power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own. It shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Your feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be, ever, only, all for Thee.

Modern artists have added a chorus that sings 'Here am I, all of me. Take my life, all for Thee.'
May God be so gracious to use all of me as a vessel for His name. I hope God gives me strength to pray this hymn every day.