How Do I Put God First?

This past week on the missions trip, I’ve been journaling each day about the devotionals and the day’s work. The impact the week has had on me is pretty obvious if you were to read the day-to-day entries. The first two I wrote were my typical Christian camp things, but by the third day the tone began to change. The devotional that day asked who/what I worship and this is what I wrote:
                “God seems like a good enough answer, but honestly it depends. From August to November, its swimming. From December to January its soccer. From February to April its tennis. Ironic, because I hate change, but my heart seems a tad unstable.”
                I came to realize that these things only bring myself pleasure (and pain), which is probably what changed me the most this trip because we were serving anyone but ourselves and I’ve never been happier. It was almost like a vacation from myself …so I started asking myself, if I have a passion for these things, how do I put God first? Love God more than I love them made sense. And how do I do that? Well, I figure I got this passion for swimming because I was swimming three hours a day, five days a week, and putting so much of myself into it. We were created to worship and it looks like whatever I put the most of myself into I tend to worship in my own way. So, if I were to begin to be in the Word and strengthen my relationship with God just as much as I am in these sports, I suppose I would end up just as passionate. It certainly wouldn’t leave me worse off.
                 Thursday, when I realized the week was almost over, I saw how blessed I was. At Jacqui and Jonathon’s wedding/vow-renewal, all the youth members, myself included, were acting as though we had known this sweet couple for years, because that is exactly how we felt.  I really wish we had known them for years. They are so amazing (and their kids are pretty awesome, too). I honestly started crying when I said aloud my fear that I may never see them again.
                Recapping the week, it was pretty exciting: we weeded a couple hopeless looking yards, prayed Alabama-style (all at once), survived a few twelve hour bus rides, threw a wedding, met some amazing people, talked to complete strangers, prayed with complete strangers,  learned the importance of caffeine, how to pray out loud, and how to shower in ice water (very quickly). When my brother came back from his missions trip he got a tattoo to help him never  forget it, but as my mom has already deemed that not possible for me,  I guess I’ll have to find my own way of remembering, through a whole lot of praying, faith and facebook, of course.