All Out!

"I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws..." (Ezek. 11:19-20a) "I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with ALL THEIR HEART. (Jeremiah 24:7)
From Rufus Jones (1863-1948): "There are stories of painters who have mixed their own blood with their paint. They probably are fanciful tales, but the idea is worth something at any rate. Until the very life stuff of the man goes into his task, until he grinds himself into his paint, his work will be ordinary and will lack the mark of inspiration. What a splendid sight it is to see a young man, who has been drifting along with the flow of the current, and who has put no blood into his work, suddenly wake up and throw himself with passion into his daily task as though his life depended on doing it. Everybody discovers that something has happened. A new spirit has awakened. There is some power behind him. What is the explanation? He is in love. He has found an inspiration. He is working for the sake of somebody, and this passion of love gives him joy as he works to make a home and a livelihood. His whole self goes into his task, because his life has become consecrated by love. His face shines, his eye flashes, his step is quick. When he puts his hand to a task, it moves, for there is power working in him. We need to get a love which will melt down our lives and send the spirit of our entire personality into our work. We shall stop playing at religion, and the glow and rapture of service will make our faces shine when once, out of love, we pour into the task of saving the world all we are and all we have."

Lord, I don't want to lose that passion and excitement of the discovery of your love and purpose. I want to press forward with an unseen but obvious power driving every step - Your power! Help me to avoid slipping into the mundane. My time here is too short not to risk and sacrifice - fully living - fully loving! Amen.