I have met many people throughout this life of 34 years...Been introduced to quite a few.
But meetings, and introductions are meaningless unless they serve as a forefront to a deeper relationship. And many of those have become such. But mere acquaintances laced with quick smiles and friendly hellos are unfortunately too preoccupied with "what's next on the agenda?" instead of true concern with the other party's whole well being.
Or so it has been much of the time, on my behalf...
And how often do I tend to believe that is the will of my Father in Heaven? And most of the time it is like that when I address Him...
"Hi God, I'm doing great, how are you? Oh, the universe is all under control? Great, you have a nice day...and oh yeah, keep us (you know, my family and me) in mind and safe, and forgive me for my sins too!...thanks, luv ya, bye!"
Sweet, short and to the point, cuz ya know, I'm a busy mom, working mom...mind you...who has a family and a house with dust bunnies and groceries that need bought and bills that need paid and school that is starting and kids that are playing travel sports.....etc....
And God, He just needs to make it all work out for the good...fit it together so it's good for us, for my kids, so they turn out alright...or lets be honest, so they turn out above par...
And God, He just needs to make it all work out for the good...fit it together so it's good for us, for my kids, so they turn out alright...or lets be honest, so they turn out above par...
And that alone would be fulfilling as a parent. For everything to look good on the outside...For the kids to turn out "successful" in the eyes of the those around...
And if only I hadn't tasted...
If only I hadn't ENCOUNTERED Him before...
And these experiences aren't to be taken lightly.
And words really can't explain it either. But to have tasted and seen, and to take that for granted...to ignore it...
Shame on me.
That's all there is to it- because how easily and quickly I take for granted this living, breathing God who is reaching down to us and offering an unexplainable ENCOUNTER with Him...
Christianity is set apart from mostly all other religions because of the faith in a unique God who reaches down to humanity and holds out His hand for us, offering an unexpected freedom through the sacrifice of His only Son...
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life...For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.." John 3:16-17
A couple of months ago we took our little family to church on a summer Sunday evening...
Joe prayed silently to God during the service and asked of Him something...
Of which I was unaware....
And we were at church late that night, new members joined and there was cake after, along with a presentation about a church plant in Detroit. Which was very interesting to me, more than reminiscent, it was moving...
It reminded me of my younger days and my older sister's heart for the inner city 20 short minutes away from where we grew up. She lived there in Detroit at a church house doing mission work her third year of college. She had a calling for the poor, the down and out and outcasts of society which overflowed and convicted anyone close to her. Immobility was not an option and her passion was contagious. She introduced us to her friend, Harvey, who was a Mennonite from Canada also doing an internship at the church. He befriended us and God used him to show us who Jesus was. Never before had I ENCOUNTERED a person with such humility and love for the unlovely...
So all of this had been brought to the forefront of my mind before we left church that warm summer evening in June. I had swallowed back many tears before we even got in the minivan.
And as we pulled out of the parking lot onto the usually busy but thankfully vacant road, our eyes couldn't help but look upward because there was a magnificent magenta and orange hued sunset gracing the sky.
And all of a sudden Joe slams on the breaks as I was trying to take it all in...
He points his index finger hard into the glass of the windshield and asks me,
"Is that an eagle?"
I lean forward and gaze above and tell him yes and that I think it is but I also ask him to please continue on driving because I was awfully scared that someone was going to crash into our behind...
And all three of the children caught a glimpse. You see my husband and my mom are bird freaks...
They constantly are bird watching and the children have picked up on this...They know a turkey buzzard from a hawk...
And we all saw the white head as this eagle flew right over our van...
And Joe could hardly speak...
He told me,
"You don't understand! It's God!"
Now he had my attention. My husband is the opposite of dramatic. (yes my children inherited their theatrics from me, not him)
"What?" I asked.
He went on to tell me that while we were in church, he said a prayer, a prayer that he had forgotten about until this very moment, with the cake and the church-plant and all...
And in that prayer, he told me he asked God...
"If you are real, If all of this is real...make and eagle fly over my head when I leave church tonight!"
And then he told me that he felt guilty right after he uttered the prayer upward... He told God that he was sorry...the verse about not putting the Lord thy God to the test sprung into his mind...and Joe took back what he said.
But God chose to send an eagle regardless...
And Joe along with our family ENCOUNTERED God in a big way... a grand way...maybe the most amazing way we ever will in our short lives here on this earth...
And how often I forget and shove Him to the side as if He is just an acquaintance...
And what grace He bestows when the reminders of His very realness are brought to light.
And my prayer tonight is that my children, our family, will long to ENCOUNTER God, and that we would be on a fiery pursuit after Him and His will...
*Since writing this almost 4 years ago, several eagles have flown over Joe's car and even our house. We have never seen them around here until that night. Joe called me this morning to tell me one flew right over the front of his hood while in route to work. What an amazing reminder that God is real. He knows how fickle we are, how distracted...Right before he called me today, I had been reading
Psalm 103:
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
Bless his holy name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
...may my faith be childlike...renewed like the eagle's...who God used to open our hearts up...to ENCOUNTER Him....
A couple of months ago we took our little family to church on a summer Sunday evening...
Joe prayed silently to God during the service and asked of Him something...
Of which I was unaware....
And we were at church late that night, new members joined and there was cake after, along with a presentation about a church plant in Detroit. Which was very interesting to me, more than reminiscent, it was moving...
It reminded me of my younger days and my older sister's heart for the inner city 20 short minutes away from where we grew up. She lived there in Detroit at a church house doing mission work her third year of college. She had a calling for the poor, the down and out and outcasts of society which overflowed and convicted anyone close to her. Immobility was not an option and her passion was contagious. She introduced us to her friend, Harvey, who was a Mennonite from Canada also doing an internship at the church. He befriended us and God used him to show us who Jesus was. Never before had I ENCOUNTERED a person with such humility and love for the unlovely...
So all of this had been brought to the forefront of my mind before we left church that warm summer evening in June. I had swallowed back many tears before we even got in the minivan.
And as we pulled out of the parking lot onto the usually busy but thankfully vacant road, our eyes couldn't help but look upward because there was a magnificent magenta and orange hued sunset gracing the sky.
And all of a sudden Joe slams on the breaks as I was trying to take it all in...
He points his index finger hard into the glass of the windshield and asks me,
"Is that an eagle?"
I lean forward and gaze above and tell him yes and that I think it is but I also ask him to please continue on driving because I was awfully scared that someone was going to crash into our behind...
And all three of the children caught a glimpse. You see my husband and my mom are bird freaks...
They constantly are bird watching and the children have picked up on this...They know a turkey buzzard from a hawk...
And we all saw the white head as this eagle flew right over our van...
And Joe could hardly speak...
He told me,
"You don't understand! It's God!"
Now he had my attention. My husband is the opposite of dramatic. (yes my children inherited their theatrics from me, not him)
"What?" I asked.
He went on to tell me that while we were in church, he said a prayer, a prayer that he had forgotten about until this very moment, with the cake and the church-plant and all...
And in that prayer, he told me he asked God...
"If you are real, If all of this is real...make and eagle fly over my head when I leave church tonight!"
And then he told me that he felt guilty right after he uttered the prayer upward... He told God that he was sorry...the verse about not putting the Lord thy God to the test sprung into his mind...and Joe took back what he said.
But God chose to send an eagle regardless...
And Joe along with our family ENCOUNTERED God in a big way... a grand way...maybe the most amazing way we ever will in our short lives here on this earth...
And how often I forget and shove Him to the side as if He is just an acquaintance...
And what grace He bestows when the reminders of His very realness are brought to light.
And my prayer tonight is that my children, our family, will long to ENCOUNTER God, and that we would be on a fiery pursuit after Him and His will...
Psalm 103:
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
Bless his holy name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
...may my faith be childlike...renewed like the eagle's...who God used to open our hearts up...to ENCOUNTER Him....
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