My life is a little hectic, and that’s an understatement. I am always traveling, or trying to do three things at once, and it is easy to lose sight of any quiet time at all. So imagine how excited I got when I chose to do almost nothing for my birthday yesterday.
You see, Janet and I have a tradition. On your actual birthday, you pick the activities for the family that day. On Friday it was great to see everyone but yesterday, ahhhhhh, my actual birthday – it was quiet by comparison – a few easy errands and then cards with the neighbors, one of my favorite Saturday night activities.
Now you may wonder, with all the great things one could do on your special day, why I would choose something so ordinary, even so quiet. I thought about the same thing. After all, we see each other at least once a month, probably more, and we never get tired of each other. And, it really is easy. No pretense, no special treatment, no hype – just pizza, salad and Coke in the can.
It occurred to me that the thing I like most about these special friendships is that they are authentic, genuine and real. And there is something fundamentally solid about stuff that is real. These relationships are dependable, loyal, steadfast and true. And it is nice to be unconditionally accepted.
The same is true with Christ. He is dependable, loyal, steadfast, true and loves us unconditionally. And above all, His fondest desire is for us to spend more time with Him. Because the only way you get to know someone better is to invest in the relationship and spend more time together. There is no substitute – it’s that simple. And during that time, no pretense; just honest, open, authentic communication.
One of the most stirring stories in the Bible on this subject has to do with Joshua, who assisted Moses through the years the Israelites travelled through the desert in search of the Promised Land. Moses never got there, and Joshua was afraid he was not up to the task before him. But God spoke to him and said, “Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5)
And so it is with each of us. God will be with us, so we will never be alone, and He will never leave us, or forsake us. So my encouragement today is to spend a little time with God – invest in your relationship and get to know Him a little better. If you don’t know what to say, just listen, and come as you are – just like the neighbors. Where else can you find someone like that? He’s patiently waiting for you right now!
Loved this!
What a wonderful message to share with your readers–about choosing the ordinary–and how extraordinary the result can be. Sometimes I think finding what you’re looking for happens when you keep things simple…why else would monks be so happy all of the time? 🙂 Here’s hoping your birthday was happy!
L
fantastic post – slow down, rest, talk and pray.
Scott – Great writings! The best is yet to come my friend….