As I walked by the window that day, I saw them. Over my front yard were birds. Lots of BIG birds….circling. I thought, “Awww, something is dead and they are circling before they feast”. As my eyes followed the line in the sky from the birds to where they’re circling over my front yard I see their target…..MY LITTLE SON is laying on the ground, arms and legs stretched out and very, very still! By that time, the birds were close enough to him that, had I been where he was, I could have thrown a rock and hit them! If you knew how far I can throw a rock and hit a target, you’d know this isn’t very far! Immediately, I open my front door and call out to him loudly…..ok, that’s a nice way of saying I opened my front door and screamed his name loud enough to not only shock those ravenous birds, but every tree around shook as birds fluttered away at the sudden high pitched shriek…as if they all collectively jumped and said, “WOAH….DUDE….let’s roll out of here!”

And so dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice–the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Romans 12:1

In the Old Testament, when sacrificing an animal a priest would kill the animal, cut it into pieces, and place it on the altar. Sacrifice was very important, but even in the Old Testament God made it clear that obedience from the heart was far more important. God wants us to offer ourselves, not animals, as living sacrifices. It really is about the heart. Daily as we lay aside our own desires to follow Him—-putting all of our trust in Him to guide us–because He has pleasing and perfect plans for us….our minds will be BLOWN! As we lay ourselves outstretched for Him to have His way with us, He draws near…SKIN TO SKIN….and dazzles us. To be that close to the very definition of Love and Power takes my breath away! Out of all the magnificent things I’ve witnessed God doing…..the most miraculous thing is the way He changes and lifts me…ME….He has transformed my mind and heart so much, I scarcely recognize myself. You see, this is true worship….because He gave His Son to make our new life possible, we should joyfully give ourselves as living sacrifices for His service.

The way my son laid outstretched that day was very indicative of how he would grow and live his life with our Lord and Savior….just a giving of his life to follow Him with everything in him. God is not like those birds, circling and waiting to devour us. To the contrary…..He is came to give us new life!