True-ism: Comparison (Part 1)

In my grand plan to write once a week on True-isms, I didn't take into account a long holiday weekend with The Mister, nor the last week of summer vacation for The Boy and The Girl. So I am going to turn this weeks True-ism focus into a two-parter.  (Is that a word? Two-parter?)

I have a few things I would love to write on this subject, but my extra-time for thinking and writing has been (happily) set aside for time with family.  I don't want to waste your time or, more importantly, handle God's Word without a good chunk of time spent in prayer and thought. 

Actually, I think it will be better this way, because I am hoping to get you in on the action...I would love to hear how God is speaking to you on these issues.  

If you have your cards printed out you will need to get the Comparison card, based on Romans 12: 2, 5, 6, and place it somewhere you can see it often.

There isn't a translation of this passage in Romans that I don't love, but I decided to post from The Message because it certainly speaks to my heart in this time: 

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out.

So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't.

(The emphasis is mine.)

I can't really think of anything else that's sets us up for failure quicker than comparison. 

I know that I have been speaking a lot on the issues of the body, but comparison is no respecter of issues: our bodies, our talents, our work, our kids, our ministries, our yards, our clothing, and yes (dare I hit below the belt?), even our blogs, can be the subject of our comparisons. 

We are each created unique, for very specific purposes. So why get caught up in comparisons? Yet, we all do it.  Every. Single. Day.

For those of you who are walking through the eight True-isms with me, (and those who would like to join us...Come on! You know you want to!) how would you feel about thinking through this weeks scripture and topic and then writing about it on your own blog next Sunday? I'll write too, but I would love to read your thoughts as well.

I am going to try to figure out how to do that linky thing that the "real" bloggers use (was that a comparison?) and then you can link from here.  Unless, nobody is up for it, which I can understand. Sometimes thinking about these things and trying to change our focus is hard enough, much less writing about them and placing them for the net to see! So let me know.

Also, I won't be blogging much this week. My kids go to school on a year-round schedule and summer break is over after next week. Sending my kids back to school is always a tough time for me. I plan to spend most of next week enjoying the last few days with them (and with out-of town- company). I have a few scheduled posts ready, but for the most part the CoffeeGal is taking a break.

This will be good because a week from now, when I am in a melancholy funk I will have lots of blog posts to catch up on to ease my sorrow.

Did you know I could be a drama queen? (although I'll never admit I just typed that)

I'll catch you next Sunday, when we chat in detail about Comparisons.

La Vida Dulce!