Last week, I asked how things were going with your own pursuits of spending time with God. Rachel’s answer to that question was beautiful and I just had to share it:
I give my first free moments to God…whether that is at six in the morning or eleven in the evening. As I’ve developed my relationship with God, I stopped looking at God as an angry schoolteacher that is upset when I don’t show up on time, and started looking at him as my best friend waiting for me with a hot cup of coffee at my favorite coffee store. He’s dissapointed when I don’t show up because He had just the right words for me…not angry because I didn’t show up for a lecture. Every day there is something special to encourage me, or learn more about him. I was shocked when I heard that less than 40% of all professing Christians have actually read through their entire Bible, so I few years back, I decided to start. It has made a world of difference, and I’m a better mom and wife now then I used to be because of it.
So how do you see God? Do you see him like Rachel used to? Many times we see God through the lens of our own relationship with our dad here on earth. For some of us, that is a good template to see God through. But for others whose dad was not loving and grace filled, their perception of God is skewed because they’ve never had a model of what a loving father looks like.
Rachel’s “new” perspective is an accurate one. It is reflective of who God is and what he desires for us. He longs to spend time with us, not to lecture, but to love.
What about you? How do you see God? Has your perception changed over time?
A few years ago, while I was still living in Southern California, there was a beach that I frequented when I needed some serious alone time with God. One day I was walking along the rocky shore at high tide. The waves were coming in fast and strong… seemed harsher than usual. And I thought to myself, “wow, what angry waves.” And as if I had said it in conversational prayer and about him, God answered as clear as if he’d said it in an audible voice, “No, not angry waves. Mighty.” It was in that moment that I too realized how I’d been viewing God for a long time if not for my whole life. That day was a turning point. I still have an easier time relating to Jesus than the idea of God the Father, but I have grown oh so much since that day on the beach.
I love Rachel’s words. They remind me of a section in the book “My Heart, Christ’s Home” where the author describes Jesus waiting morning after morning for him. Jesus said something to the tune of, “… Yes, I’ve been here every morning. See, you think your quiet time is for your own good, to build up YOUR faith. I get something out of our time together too. I miss you when you’re not here.” That’s VERY loosely quoted, but you get the idea. Our relationship with the Lord is NOT a one way street and NOT all about us. He delights in us and desires to spend time with us. I TOTALLY need reminded of this idea. Thanks for sharing.
Tara, thank you for sharing this! I love your story….so powerful…so, so powerful!