Megan's prayer: Third Day's "You are Mine"

I think
Of all that I have done wrong
And everything that you have done
To make it right.

During high school, I held the highly acclaimed position of "cleaning girl" at the daycare I worked at after school. I wasn't old enough to legally be responsible for the kids, so I was put in charge of cleaning all the dishes from lunch and snack, sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, and cleaning the bathrooms. It was definitely not a job I looked forward to. While all of the little kids, and the other girls who were old enough to be legally responsible hung outside and played games and ate Popsicles, I was inside cleaning toilets. And not just the toilets, but the floors and the walls as well, because little kids don't have very good aim.

At the beginning of each day I would ask myself "Why am I here? Isn't there a more enjoyable job I could do?" but by the end, after I had finished cleaning and got to spend 30 minutes outside with the little kids, coloring with chalk and playing hide-and-go seek, it made the day worthwhile. Suddenly I didn't mind cleaning up after their messes they left for me everyday.

I think this helps me grasp just how much I'm loved by God. Even when I make mistakes, or make a mess of my life, or leave things completely out of order, God comes behind me and makes it all better. He may not be thrilled while he is doing this, but his love for me is always there. Especially in the end, when he's finished helping me straighten out my life, and we just get to hangout.

Chris' prayer: Third Day's "You are Mine"

It doesn’t take much for my heart to break
And you have done it for what’s seems the millionth time

I didn't make it far in this song. I got stuck wondering how the Lord could break my heart a million times. If anything, it would be me who is breaking His heart, for it is I who am letting Him down. It is I who sin. But then I thought about the couple of times in the Bible where it mentioned the people being "hard of heart." Whenever this is mentioned, it means stubbornness. I can definitely be stubborn. And it is in those times of stubbornness that I sin.

So when Mac Powell sings of having his heart broken for the millionth time, I *think* He is talking about Jesus softening his hardness of heart, breaking through the exterior shell in that way, forgiving him of his sin. If that is the case, then I need my heart broken. I need His presence in my life. I need His Love to cover all of my transgressions.


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Katie's prayer: Third Day's "You are Mine"

I got so excited when I saw the title of today's song. "You are Mine." I thought, "thank you God, this is exactly what I need right now, a song from your point of view telling me how much you love me, and I'm still yours no matter what!" But then I listened to the song and found it was not a song from God's point of view, it was from man's point of view. The singer (which I guess is me now, cause I've started singing along) is saying to God "You are Mine." And while it's not what I originally thought the song was about, nor what I thought I needed to hear today, God knew better about what I needed to hear.

Too often I find myself not claiming God. Too often I find myself acting more like Saint Peter than like Saint John, denying Christ instead of embracing him. It's ok for me to wear my cross necklace today because I'll be at the diocese, and they know of my faith, it's ok to flaunt it. No, I don't think I'll wear it today because I'll be at school. I'm around my apathetic faith friends, I shouldn't wear my rosary bracelet. And even more recently, when people at school ask me my plans after graduation, instead of telling them "I feel called to be a youth minister," I reply "I don't know, hopefully get a job somewhere."

So while the message of God loves me is a great message, today's message is: I love God and I should stop being so picky about who I share that with. It's time for me to claim God as mine!

It's by your sacrifice
I can say that
I am yours and you are mine

Catie's prayer: Third Day's "You are Mine"

Sometimes I wonder why
you even love me
And why you ever chose
to call me child

This is where I'm at right now. I keep questioning why God loves me as much as he does. And he keeps telling me to just stop questioning it and sometimes I do, but other times I don't. I wonder why he would want to love someone as human as me. However, God is God and that's what he does. He loves. Unconditionally. No strings attached. Just the way we are. And that, is simply beautiful.

Jen's prayer: Third Day's "You are mine"

It doesn't take much
For me to shed a tear
And you have done so many things
To make me cry
Whenever I think
Of all that I've done wrong
And everything that you have done
To make it right

Every day this week I feel like I've done something stupid, but every night God is still there for me and I just don't deserve it. And while I don't normally cry when I pray, it's times "whenever I think of all that I've done wrong and everything that you have done to make it right" that makes me tear up a bit and praise Him even more.