Trouble Right Here in Amytown

The other day I was sitting with Molly – I forget what we were doing – but I turned my attention to her and asked:

MOM: So, Molly, what’s up in Molly world?

MOLLY: Huh? I mean, ma’am?

MOM: What’s shakin’ in Mollytown? What’s happenin’? Aren’t you the ruler of Mollyville??

MOLLY: No, Mom, I’m not the ruler…Jesus is.

Later that evening, we were all sitting at the dinner table and I relayed the interchange to the rest of our family. Michael joined in…

MICHAEL: So, Jesus is the ruler of Mollyville, huh?

MOLLY: Yes, Daddy, but I AM the president.

I share this because it got me thinking of how much of a dictatorship Amytown is sometimes. Amytown is often very important to me, and I just dare one to make it difficult or messy. Amytown is at its best when it is neat and tidy. I like to talk about Amytown (obviously), making sure Amytown has everything it needs. Amytown is often a slave to order and predictability…but some of the best “towns” are, am I right? Amytown is a comfortable place (or at least, her ruler-ME-desires it to be…sometimes above all else).

It’s laughable, really, how often I do make life about me, what I want, what bothers me, and how to bring comfort back to those raw, uncomfortable places.

The last few days have been very encouraging ones to me. God has sent some people my way to remind me which way to face. When I am too mired down in thinking about how life is affecting me and looking only at my circumstances, I forget who is holding me, and more than that – who is holding the universe. God is in this, and he wants me to take my eyes off of self and put them back where they belong…on Him.

So, thank you Molly, for reminding me that ultimately I want Jesus to be ruler of Amytown, not me. In fact, I don’t even want to be president when you get right down to it. Maybe some unimportant cabinet position or something…ok, now this is just getting weird.

Bless ya!