Sometimes life cries out for a nice break from the daily routine …… a pie break, so to speak. A time to sit, to listen, to reflect. To taste the sweetness of life.
I have always loved music. I have always been searching for the music that touches my heart in honesty and love in the deepest way. Music and words that speak truth and human emotions.
That is one reason that I have always related to David of the bible. Particularly, I have always loved the raw honesty in the Book of Psalms.
I came across this article and video today. It is truthful and honest. No religion in it just pure relationship.
I happen to like Bono very much. His spiritual journey has been an inspiration over the years. And Eugene Peterson of The Message translation fame has been a breath of fresh air in bible reading for me.
This video touched my heart. It speaks of thoughts and expressions I have felt for a long time. Please watch it and hear it with openness and not judgement.
I’ve been thinking about what I have. I have a great family and wonderful friends. I have a relationship with a living God that is fantastic.
I feel loved. I feel accepted by my God and by my closest friends and of course, my family.
But what do I have? Particularly, what do I have in the relationship I have with my God, Jesus and Holy Spirit?
I could list what I potentially have, but do I use those things to the fullest? I do not. Ashamedly, I do not. Most of what I have I am most likely not aware of.
Here’s a true story that happened to me along the lines of what I possess as a Christian. We lost our daughter, suddenly, in 2005. It was the worst of times and the best of times. I needed my Father God to bring out all of His power to get us through this time, this life.
He did. He does. I never knew grace until this tragedy. I thought I did. But when I found myself in a place of total weakness He came and picked each of us up and held us tight and carried us through. It truly is amazing grace.
But did you know that there are some of us who do not believe that for themselves? I’ll tell you how I know this. A friend talked to me during this horrific time in our life and said, “I don’t know how you do this. I don’t know how you go through such a thing. I couldn’t do it.”
I was shocked at what they said. This was a person who hears from God on a regular basis. A person who received a miraculous healing from God when medical professionals saw no way to fix them.
Now I was in heavy grief at the time and shock of what happened to our family. But do you know what I wanted to say? I wanted to ask if they knew Jesus? If they actually knew what He did for them at the cross.
What are we doing? Are we just thanking Him for salvation on the cross and His resurrection, etc? Just? And then taking that gift of salvation and not opening it? Putting it on the shelf somewhere hidden within to only open when we need it or saving for a rainy day or perhaps, never opening it and seeing the fullness of His gift to us?
Come on Dear Reader. He has given you so much more than a mansion in heaven. So much more than eternal life with Him. It doesn’t begin when we pass this life and go to His arms. It begins here. In this life. He has mysteries to unravel in that gift you didn’t fully open. He has dreams and blessings on this earth for you to open now. Life isn’t just to survive until we get there.
I want it all. I want as much of Him that I can possibly get. I fall short of this every second of my day but I know He is still with me. He knows I fall short. He knows I can only handle so much at a time.
The beauty of His love is that He waits for us. He waits with gentle prodding and I believe anticipation. He loves and longs to spend time with us. To walk with us. To be part of our decisions (even when it involves insane presidential candidates – LOL). He wants to be a part of all our decisions. He wants to be one with us.
But we have to allow Him. Welcome Him in. Let’s do it. I’m sure you all want a fuller life. A closer walk with God. It’s scary. I think mostly it’s the hardest thing to do – to let go and let God. Yet, it’s the simplest. Find kindred spirits so you don’t walk alone. Easter is coming and it’s a great time to turn around and open the gift of our Savior.
Hey All. I have been participating at another blog site called Church Set Free. Tomorrow, December 9th, all contributors will be bringing the same topic to the table. “What does worship mean to you?”
It will be fun and interesting and a diversity of thoughts. Please join in and while you are there check out our authors in the menu bar. You may find what you are looking for. 😀
I was struck deeply one day by a story I heard from a friend of mine. It was about worship.
I’m not talking about the act of worship, which I’m sure has different meanings to many of us. Some think of the music portion of a church service or perhaps music that moves you deeply when alone with God. That’s what I always thought of it as. And there is nothing wrong with any of our perspectives of worship. But I found a deeper worship after I heard his story.
It went something like this:
My friend was in a country in Africa. A small village. A group of people who worked hard physically and also held a deep love of God in their hearts.
One day my friend was helping to shovel sand/dirt into or out of a truck. He worked alongside a man he was growing a close relationship with. The African man was able to shovel hard and fast. My friend, quite physically competitive by nature, saw it as a competition. The harder his African friend worked, he worked harder, and harder. Faster and faster. He realized that no matter how fast he shoveled his friend got more accomplished.
This frustrated my friend. So much that he stopped shoveling and grabbed his friend and tossed him on the ground. He asked the African how he can shovel so much more than him?
The lovely man from the village took my friend up a hill nearby that overlooked a field. There, below them, was a man plowing a field with his beast in tow. He simply told my friend to look at the man working the field. That is his worship. The shoveling I do is my worship to God.
That simple act of doing what you do. Very possible doing what you were created to do……. that is your Worship to God.
I thought long and hard and deep on this one. I’ve been a worship leader, guitar in hand, etc. But when this story penetrated my heart I realized that there is more to worship than I was taught or shown.
I realized that this journey with God that I have been on has been my worship. The molding and shaping He is doing in me and the revealing of my true self and who He created me to be – the talents, the personality, the gifts, the skills, the whatever – this is my worship to Him.
This is by far one of the most freeing experiences I have ever come to realize. And I don’t feel that I’ve totally grasped the deepest meaning. I am so caught up in my discontents in what He has me doing at this point in my life that I do believe I miss the wonderful, loving, truly joyful act of worship with Him – my life that He gave to me.
Find your worship, Dear Reader. I guarantee that you will find peace and love and joy when you do.
Did you know that the Greek word proskuneo means to kiss (like a dog licking his master’s hand), to do reverence to, adore, etc.? It originally carried with it the idea of subjects falling down to kiss the ground before a king or kiss their feet.
When I worship God I like to think of this. He is definitely worthy. There is a song by Sixpence None the Richer that I think of my God when I hear it. Come on, bear with me and use a mature mind. Nothing “sexual” about it. Simply paying adoration and reverence to a God who is closer than a brother – a real friend AND a king.
Sixpence None The Richer – Kiss Me
Kiss me out of the bearded barley Nightly, beside the green, green grass Swing, swing, swing the spinning step You wear those shoes and I will wear that dress.
[Chorus:] Oh, kiss me beneath the milky twilight Lead me out on the moonlit floor Lift your open hand Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance Silver moon’s sparkling So kiss me
Kiss me down by the broken tree house Swing me upon its hanging tire Bring, bring, bring your flowered hat We’ll take the trail marked on your father’s map
I like to think of the “We’ll take the trail marked on your father’s map” as me and Jesus and God the father’s map. A journey through life.
I hope the reader doesn’t take offense by what I say here today. It’s not about religion, but a relationship with The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit. That’s what He wants.
