The Most Perfect Lamp in the World

            I have been given the most perfect lamp ever.

            In the whole world.

            It is not too bright and it is not too low. It is tall enough to light up the whole room and short enough it is not like a ceiling light. I take my friends into my room to show off my most perfect lamp ever. My sister wants it bequeathed to her when I die.

            God gives some people incredible intelligence or great athletic ability or an eye for the market. But I have been honored with the most perfect lamp ever. Sometimes, I worry about how to use my gift. Other times, I forget what a gift it is and just turn it on. Other times, I sit and think about what a good job I did choosing my lamp, even though I seriously did nothing to receive it. It just showed up in my room, as a gift from someone.

            I do not know how to use my most perfect lamp ever. I am not sure what purpose God has given it to me for, or what he plans to do with it in the future. Sometimes, it seems impossible to imagine what God's plans are, especially for my gift.

            But he knows his plans. Me and my lamp are just here for the ride. Whether we go on to light the world, sit in one place and light the way for maybe just one person, or get caught in a hurricane and are never seen again, I know it'll be great. Because he's God! And how could God write a bad story?

           Answer: He can't! Hooray!

Brainstorming Success

            I’ve been very concerned with success lately.

            See, I’m in this writing group that puts a whole lot of stress on how many articles you get published and how many books you are writing and whether, in the end of your life, you sold 10,000 majoogies or not.

            And it makes me afraid. The whole time I’ve been there, I’ve gotten three (not-for-pay) articles published. And many of my friends are getting 3 each week, or even a day.

            That’s enough to make you feel a little inadequate inside. Like you’re not cut enough for this stuff. And I’d be okay with that, but it would still hurt a lot.

            Our leader also always says that hard work and careful planning will guarantee you success in life. So I figured, that’s what I’ll do! I’ll show I can do this!

            I researched all the best children’s magazines I could find (Because they’re better. Let’s face it. It’s got more color. And pictures. And happy. AND life skills.), and I brainstormed and prayed and thought about how successful I was going to be and doodled all day in class and wrote all these wonderful action verbs!

            This is what I ended up with.

            I felt like a failure again. And I started feeling all crummy inside.

            I figured maybe I just needed to work harder. And plan a little more. And research magazines that have really low standards.

            I was about to delve right back into again when I heard God tell me to stop.

            I am very obedient. And also not crazy enough to disobey the God of the Universe. So I paused in my typing.

            “Yes?”

            God told me to stop all this. To stop researching. To stop trying so hard. He told me to just go. To just do.

            I tried to explain to him what our leader said, and how I needed to work hard to be successful, like Princess Tiana.

            He asked me, “What if your writing is crummy? What if it’s not worth it?”

            My whole body crunched up inside at that.

            Had the God of the Universe just called my hard work “crummy?”

            I looked up with tears.

            “What?”

            He rubbed his hand against my snotty tears.

            “You write like that, and it will be crummy.”

            I crumpled up more.

            “What?”

            “Write for me. Write with me.”

            Oh!

            Now I understood! So long as I wrote with these great techniques and prepared for success, it would be crummy. Because I was missing the most important part.

            I was missing Him.

            After that, I sat down and wrote this for you. And now I’m going to go draw pictures of a dog. Or maybe play my Gameboy. And probably eat a cookie. Or orange juice. Or something crazy.

            But it will have the most important part. And I will not have to worry about failing or succeeding one bit.

            Because I have Him.