I love the random, everyday conversations with customers that come into the cafe! One of my regulars is a sweet, elderly lady who comes in each day to have a sandwich, a cup of tea and a read in the paper. She loves chatting about the latest news or the tennis and the other day we started talking about Margaret Thatcher. According to her, Maggie was great leader, inspiring many women to make something of themselves. I don't know enough about her to have much of an opinion but pointed out that many people clearly didn't like her. Here she looked at me and said "Remember this, an insecure man will be intimidated by a succesful woman but a secure man will be impressed. You don't want the insecure ones around you anyway."
It got me thinking how it can be hard to be around successful people and encourage them without starting to compare their lives with our own. Life easily becomes a competition where its all about us getting ahead and where others become a threat. Making somebody else look good might just mean they get the recognition that we should of had. Helping somebody else get ahead might mean that we fall behind and get forgotten.

The more I read in the Bible, the more I find that everything seems to be for God and His glory. Creation is for His glory, miracles are for His glory and the very details of my life are designed to be for His glory. God wants to be the one lifted up and in control in our lives.
At first thought this can seem restricting. Why should I submit to some higher being who might not want the same things for my life as I want? Shouldn't I have the right and the freedom to live life the way I want to?But then again, this is God we are talking about. If the creator of all actually cares enough about me to want to have his way in my life, why would I deny myself that privilege? If God in all His power and wisdom would bother to navigate my life, why would I want to try alone? The fact that I don't understand it all or see exactly where my life is going no longer matters. If God is in control, then I longer have to be.
Its exciting to see the way God works in people, creating something unique out of there gifts, dreams and experiences. Each story is different and becomes something beautiful as it fits into the bigger picture. Our lives can be significant! If I know there is a place for me and an awesome plan for my life then why compare with anyone elses?