My little jar

My wonderful wife Morgan mailed me a copy of a sermon by Anna Carter Florence that she thought I might want to read. Last night I could not fall asleep (which is part of my nightly ritual of tossing and turning as I think about and ponder what it is that God wants me to do with my life) so I read the sermon. Tonight I am pondering the same thing so I am going to blog about the sermon.

The sermon is on the text where the woman pours perfume on Jesus. Anna Carter goes on to describe that the perfume, that was kept in a little jar, was very expensive perfume that, in those days, would be used for when the lady died. It was her little jar of death perfume. She smashed her burial perfume jar and poured the perfume on Jesus in an act of selflessness and an act of faith. With her act she was giving everything to Jesus, even the perfume that was to be used at her burial that she had been keeping in a little jar.

Anna Carter continues by challenging us to think about the things we put into jars. The thoughts and the burdens we put into jars because we can't deal with them. The feelings we ignore and the dreams we brush off that we put in jars on shelves that are slowly killing us. The little jars that cause us to toss and turn at night. She charges us to take those little jars of death and pulverize them and offer their contents to God.

I wonder what is in my little jar. Is it my job? Is it my desire to do something more meaningful than IT Consulting for a profitable company? Is it my desire to see people happy in the fellowship of God? What is it that I am putting in the jar? I prayed to God last night for him to give me the strength to smash that jar even though I am not sure what is in it, but I am positive that I have that jar and I am sure that it is what has been causing me so much pain.

And the Quest continues...