I recently saw a headline announcing that some Hollywood star is obsessed with her face cream. Having never experienced this particular obsession, I looked it up on the almighty Google. Apparently, a lot of people are. WHAT???
Obsession is defined as a thought that continuously preoccupies a person. What would it look like to think about face cream all the time? I guess you’d continuously feel your smooth face? Maybe luxuriate in the silky feel of the cream as you dabble your fingers through it. Perhaps put it on your hands so you could sniff it all day. Maybe you would leave the jar out so you could feast your eyes on it. You could talk about face cream to all your friends. Maybe write a blog about it. Oh, wait.
Anyway, I will admit that I do use face cream. Twice a day actually. But I do not ponder it all day long. In fact, I don’t think about it at all, except when I’m putting it on. Even then, I’m probably thinking about something else, like what I am planning on doing that day.
It made me wonder what, if anything, I am obsessed with. What do I think about a lot? I think about my family—usually with a BIG GRIN on my face. I often tell my grandchildren that they are the best in the world. The older ones smirk; the younger ones believe me. My children and in-law children are amazing parents and beautiful people. My husband will get out of bed to make me a cup of coffee in the morning. Need I say more? Nope, but I will. My mom and siblings are always there for me. So, yeah. I’m obsessed with my family.
What else? I love where I live. The seasons, the garden, the forest, the neighborhood, and even my house. My walls are covered with photos of those I love and artwork given or made by family and friends; I know where I got every ornament and who gave it to me; I even enjoy knowing that the sofa set was passed down by Richard’s grandmother and the coffee table made by his father. Am I obsessed with my surroundings? Maybe not, but they do make me happy.
Is there anything that doesn’t make me happy? Of course. None of us gets through life without suffering. At various times in my pretty long life, I have often had to struggle to focus on my blessings instead of obsessing about my pain.
The answer for me is to be obsessed with the One who has given me so very much more than I could ever deserve.
If I’d been the one in charge of the world, I would not have forgiven me for messing up again and again. I would have told me that I need to pull myself up by my socks, and I might not have healed me. I certainly would not have trusted me with the amazing people in my life. But, even though Jesus knows who I am and what I have done, I am confident that He has forgiven me. More than that, He has filled my heart with joy, which is better than happiness since it is based on Jesus instead of my circumstances. Finally, He has given me the job of loving those in my life.
I remember our pastor Johnny Kurcina preaching on Mary Magdalene and the events that occurred when she found Jesus’ tomb empty. He pointed out that, when Mary met Jesus, she had no family. Nobody who loved her. She was probably mentally ill, had experienced all kinds of abuse, and had done much that she was ashamed of. Jesus forgave, accepted, and gave her an amazingly important job—telling the disciples that He had risen. Now that is someone to be obsessed with. And I doubt He ever even used face cream.