Eight is NOT Enough... is it?

I just realized the other day that God waited 100 years for Noah to build the ark...only to save EIGHT people in the end. EIGHT!!! The reason this seems significant to me is in light of what I was thinking about yesterday. We are all about results and performance as people. We generally run life like a business. If we aren't getting the results we think, we cut the funding, by George! But, God doesn't work that way. The thing that blows my mind about this story of Noah is that God already knew how many were going to be getting on. It wasn't like the day of the flood came and God sat there and scratched his head saying, "Oh rats! I had you make this ark ginormous, Noah, and look. Nobody is showing up. What a waste of time!" Nope. He told him to build the ark, waited patiently, and allowed eight little people to board. Now that's kindness. I think this strikes me as kindness because God's not into showing off his most recent stats. He's into loving people. That's the way it was from the beginning and the way it is now. EIGHT people saved in a hundred years time... Wow! Not a good return on His investment. Or maybe again...it was a great return!

So...what's my life "suppose" to look like?

Do you ever do things because "that's what THEY say"? Who are THEY? And how do they know? I think one of the loudest places these people yell is in the church circles. As a girl who grew up in the church (weird phrase, huh?) I feel a great many of these voices hollaring at me. They say things like, "You should help with that program," or "Why did God give you talents unless they are to be used for His glory" or "You can do MORE because you can do all things through Christ". But lately I've been wondering if these comments are in complete contradiction to what Jesus himself is actually saying. He said "Come to me all you who are weary and heavy hearted, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you .... for my load is light" Wow! Is his load really all that light? Why hasn't it seemed that way in the past? I'm beginning to think it's because it's not HIS yoke I've been putting on. It's THEIR yoke. Those THEYS in my life. Who are they to tell me how to live my life? They didn't make me. They don't have a plan for my life. They don't have my days numbered. But I know the truth about the One who does. I've decided today, that I really, I mean REALLY, don't want to live to please anyone except Him. I am talking about Jesus. Obviously, it doesn't mean my husband won't feel loved, or that my kids will feel abandoned or that my friends will never hear from me again because I'm so busy lovin' my Jesus. I think what will happen is actually just the opposite as what "they" say. I think I will enjoy loving my husband even more, and I'll take the time to show affection to my kids, and want to be a better friend, just because it's an outflowing of loving Him. It seems way more simple that way! How exausting it has been trying to please everyone of those voices in my head. I am gonna live for the audience of One and try it out instead.