Ruth's Blog: That don't impress me much...

I wonder what impresses you? thin thighs, people who fast for weeks, super mums who can do it all on 3hrs sleep? Seriously we've all got stuff that pushes our buttons on the 'impressive' front. Usually we admire the qualities in another that we haven't quiet mastered in ourselves. I'm impressed by those with great intellect and wit; those who are humble and exercise meekness in the face of provocation or those who remain cheerful despite ongoing hardship. How about you, what does it for you? You see the substance of what we favour is fluid, the things that impress us at 20 will be very different from what rings our bells at 30 and so on. When I woke up to the love of Jesus many years ago, I was impressed by much of what people said. I was impressed by funky guitar rifts and great lighting rigs. I liked touchy feely churches that were breaking out of the ritual of a hymnal in the hand and polite nod to thy neighbour on a Sunday. It really impressed me then...

After 20 yrs of waking up with the love of my life, Jesus each day I'm impressed by other things. Other qualities that are non negotiable and enduring ~ things like humility, truth and costly love. There is a danger in the computerised fusion that is social networking we build platforms, create image and portray the version of us we'd most like to be. The things that impress us can be what we are to the outside world. Be honest how many of us put up the really cruddy photo's on our face book wall? But here's the thing when you strip all the touch up away and permit yourself to be honestly just you ~ the stuff of substance can be seen. I wonder if we fear what we'll find, if our lack of substance scares us? There is only one person in this life really worth impressing and that's our Heavenly Father.