Knowing God

Some of the people in my life have known me a long time. And some have known me well. The former does not necessarily preclude the latter.

Sometimes people who have known me a long time, assume they know me well, when that isn't really the case.

I feel trapped and frustrated by those relationships.

Or, they have known me well in the past and make no room for growth, and so they know the me from 10 years ago, but not the me now.

I feel trapped and frustrated by those relationships, too.

Knowing me a long time doesn't necessarily mean you know me well. And making the assumption that you know me well because you have known me a long time, is a barrier to actually getting to know the real me.

The thing is, I think that sometimes because I've known God for a long time I make the assumption that I know Him well. But that's not any more true with God than it is with people.

Sometimes I approach my relationship with God assuming I already know who He is and what He wants, and that places a barrier in the way of actually knowing Him well.

Maybe you do know Him well. And maybe I do too. But what if I have missed out on an amazing God, because I have shoved Him into a box I thought he belonged in?

Let's ask God to reveal any areas where our pride and assumptions are in the way of knowing Him well. Let's open our minds and hearts and make room for the real God and not just the one I think He is.

Knowing Him a long time is not good enough for me. I want to know Him well.

Good News!

Spiritual body emaciated. Starved. Stomach distended from malnourishment. Eyes dead with despair. Lips dry. cracked.

Deceived.

Poisoned food. Dirty water.

I thought pursuing Him was a checklist.

I didn't know . . .

. . .  that He loves me.

I didn't know that He wants me.

I didn't know that I can have a relationship with Him.

Suspicious. Afraid of poison. dirty water . . . unaware that I was already consuming it.

. . . refused to eat Bread of Life or drink Living Water.

I needed the Gospel.

So . . .

He pursued. He loved.

answered misguided prayers. worked for my good. sent people.

They told me about a God who loves me. Who chose me.  And who is happy He did.

They told me about a Savior who died for me while I was lost in my sin. He died for me while I was lying, cheating, immoral . . . hammering nails into His flesh.

They showed me how to stop hammering the nails into His flesh and start nailing my sins there instead.

They. belong. there.

Stopped eating poison, drinking dirty water.

True Food. Living Water.

Recovering Spiritual body. No longer emaciated. Full. Beautiful. Thriving. Eyes full of hope. Lips quenched, tell the good news.

Stop drinking Satan's poison! Your spiritual stomach shouldn't be distended. Body emaciated or lips parched. There's a God who loves you, a Savior who died for you.

Stop nailing him to the cross!

Your sin belongs there. 

You can recover. Full. Beautiful. Thriving. Eyes full of hope. Lips quenched, YOU tell the Good News!

What I am Praying For This Year

I forced my fingers to type the email my spirit determined to send.

My flesh wanted the fun and excitement of working full-time in a high rise in downtown. But my spirit knew it wasn't right.

The battle exhausted me emotionally.

I go from thing to thing. I have always looked at it as being open minded. Being willing to rethink things and learn and grow and change my course accordingly.

And maybe it IS a good thing at least some of the time.

I am constantly on the prowl for what God wants me to be doing. Something comes along and I pounce on it like a puppy on a new, squeeky toy. And then, in the middle of working on the first thing, something else comes a long and I am like "Squirrel!" and I drop the first thing and move on to the next. Sometimes I go back to the original thing, but then I see another squirrel and the same pattern repeats itself.

So, this year I am determined to break my gypsy cycle. So I met with a counselor and got some great advice. And I looked up how to write a mission statement, and I wrote one.

Apparently my lack of attention span is discontent related to strained familial relationships, a lack of gratefulness and not living and working within my calling.

So, for the next 40 days here is what I am praying

My Mission statement
Titus 2:3-5
The Sermon on the Mount
and for wisdom

I am surrendering. Seeking God with all my heart. Adding some structure into my daily life. Pursuing relationships. Being intentionally grateful. And believing the truth that God tells me.

This is a graphic I created for my mission statement. It makes me happy!