Relationship Goals
Some people believe that if you have enough faith that God will do anything that you ask of Him. Personally, this is not my belief. I believe that God answers all of our prayers, but not always in the way that we originally hoped. However, as I often need to remind myself, His plan is better and purposeful. I’ll be completely honest, it is quite difficult to believe that His plan is better than mine when my daughter is crying again at 2am when she is fed, burped, and changed. To me, the best plan is that she would sleep from 8pm to 8am uninterrupted. I mean, how is that not the best scenario? But if that were the case, I would not need to talk to God; I would not experience His grace; I would not feel His renewed mercies; my patience would not be increased because it was never tested. These gifts: communication, grace, mercy, patience..prayed for in the wee hours of the morning, filter into every aspect of my day. They make me a better wife, mom, friend, follower of Jesus. I am filled. And as any of us that have been stretched to the end of our rope can attest, being filled when we feel emptied and worn thin by the responsibilities and demands of life is redeeming.
But often in our daily life: getting up in the middle of the night with our children, driving through traffic at rush hour, waiting in the checkout line at the grocery store, preparing for a board meeting, etc., it seldom occurs to us to include God because we think “This is just life. Good or bad, it is what it is and I’ll do what I need to do to get it done.” But that’s not God’s intention or desire for us.
God wants to hear the nitty gritty. Why? The answer is two-fold. Firstly, it is not because He needs you to tell Him, but because He wants you to communicate with Him. It is through communication (prayer) that we draw near to Him. Secondly, simply because He cares. He cares about it all. We often say nothing is too big for God. I’d like to add that nothing is too small for God.
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 If God is working all things, then surely He is in all things, big and small, and therefore it isn’t “just life.” It is God at work, present in your life, pulling His plan together through you.
“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” 1 Chronicles 16:11
I said to a friend once that our relationship with God is a lot like dating. When you first meet someone and hit it off, the relationship is new and exciting. The honeymoon phase of a relationship. You talk for hours; you feel alive, vibrant. You want to know everything about this new person and you want them to know you. However, as time goes on, the newness wears off. You’ve told all of your history and, likewise, there are no new stories to hear. Real life starts when the relationship is tested for longevity. And what is it that makes the difference between success and failure? The nitty gritty. Sharing day-to-day activities, musings, laughs, disappointments; the minutiae that is far too difficult to summarize for someone who is not daily present. Well folks, whether we believe it, feel Him, or not, God is ever-present. So talk to Him. About everything. All of the time. “Man, Lord, I really wish this light would change.” “Please give me some motivation!” “Why do I feel this way?” “Thank you for a good night’s rest!” “He’s really upset. What ticked him off?” “Please help her to receive this well.” “Praise Jesus for an open parking spot!” “Move everything along in my child’s tummy and let her poop!” “Give me the right words, Lord. Don’t let me sound like a rambling idiot.” These things may seem trivial, disgusting, not worth God’s time, but the fact is they are a snapshot of LIFE. And God wants to do life with us. The more we involve Him on the trivial stuff of life, the closer we grow to Him. The foundation of our relationship with Him solidifies. And when we face a truly trying time in life, the more apt we are to go to God first (not wait until we are desperate for help) and trust that He’s got us.
My dear friend, Jessica, knew that I was working on this blog and sent me this article (link included below) that offers a good perspective that we often do not see. God is with us in the bad times, yes. But He is also with us in the good times and, in addition to the struggles during which we seek His companionship, wants to share in our good times. As a teacher we have a principle that you teach the whole child. This means aside from academics we are teaching behavioral, emotional, and physical health. Metaphorically speaking, this is how God views us. He doesn’t just care about getting us through the hard times. He cares about our whole life.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
I encourage you to begin to direct your everyday passing thoughts into a dialogue between you and God. Open up your life to Him. By making this conscious effort of drawing nearer to Him through conversation I guarantee you’ll experience a difference in your relationship with God, definitely, but also in little ways such as your emotions, behavior, and thoughts. Fair warning: God begins to move when you invite Him to do life with you.
I leave you with a verse very close to my heart. This scripture was given to me after learning that I was pregnant with our second child and I believe it is relevant here:
“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:17
Link|References:
Bloom, John; Desiring God; https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-involved-is-god-in-the-details-of-your-life