My Proper Place

It happens to me occasionally and I have a feeling you have experienced it as well. I wear my iPod when I work out in the mornings and I hear a song and then it is in my head all day long. One morning I heard the song "My Sharona" while running - I don't even like the song but all day long it was in my head repeating the irritating line "my Sharona...."! Once I ran a 10 mile race and while we were waiting for the start the song being blasted over the loud speakers was "Play that funky music white boy..." - I ran 10 miles with that line repeating in my head! It was awful!

Today I heard another song - simple little tune first sung by a group called the Velvet Underground - a rock group from the late 60's and early 70's. Lou Reed and John Cale were the most famous members of this odd little group. They disappeared quickly as a group with no big hits. The song I heard today was simply titled "Jesus - My Proper Place". The Velvet Underground were not a religious group - far from it. I have no idea why they sang this song.

The words - Jesus, help me find my proper place. Help me in my weakness -- Jesus, Jesus, help me find my proper place.

That little song describes a prayer I have prayed often - asking the good Lord to help me find my proper place in life. You may have prayed it as well.

I think for most this is one of life's most important goals - to find our proper place.

Paul had this great line in Ephesians 2:10 where he says that we are designed by God for good works - our place is to serve. When we find that place it is a sweet feeling.

Of course, the proper place is not really geographic - we can be anyplace and be in the proper place with God's purposes. It is more a matter of our heart and mind and the spirit - finding a way to live a life expressing the purposes of God in our daily experience.

Jesus - help us find our proper place - this is my prayer today - for you and me.

Just thinking, Steve