I spent the past few days at the Dallas gathering of the US delegates for the Cape Town 2010 congress. To say I felt completely humbled is a gross overstatement. I got to meet and talk with so many amazing people, heads of ministries, devoted followers of Jesus, people with amazing stories.

One of the songs we sang was the song God gave Patrick and me when we prepared for heading to France as missionaries, Be Thou My Vision. The verse that grabbed us was this one:

Riches I heed not
Nor man’s empty praise
Thou mine inheritance now and always
Thou and Thou only first in my heart
High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art

Such great, deep, important words. I fear we live in a world of Christian celebrities, many of us longing for that kind of shallow recognition: riches, praise from men, security from money (inheritance). We pine after trinkets instead of treasuring the God of Everything.

Even so, singing those words again reminded me to turn my back on the lure of others’ praise. It made me want to know Jesus’ love for me more deeply, more truly, so that I didn’t spend my life running after others’ words. All I need, truly, is His words toward me.

So when we took communion, something very surprising happened. I received the bread, then dipped it in the cup. The man with the cup looked into my eyes and said, “You belong to Jesus.”

It rocked my world. I belong. I belong to the High King of Heaven. The Treasured one treasures me enough to choose me to belong. I’m chewing on that beauty right now.