"Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that..."
Galatians 6:4-5. M-Remix.
The other day, I was rushing out the door to get to church and to speak to a group of young people there. I was not fully prepared to talk, as my week has been filled with everything, but a diligent time dedicated to be with God. I had just enough time to ask him to inspire this empty heart of mine for that morning, trusting that even though I tend to fail him, he would not abandon me.
I rushed outside the building and on the lawn I saw a squirrel, doing what they usually do: eating a nut. I thought to myself: I wonder how close I can get to it? As I have always wanted to have one as a pet, or to catch one, or even just to touch it for a second, because I always hear the stories of how others have done it. So, I began to slowly walk toward it… I got about 3 feet away from it and it would not move, then I was about 1.5 feet away from it, and it still wouldn't move! So I stepped away, as this was enough to make my day! I was impressed! I think this was the closest I have ever gotten to a squirrel. You see, this squirrel had her face hidden deep in the hole where the nut was, and didn't want to simply abandon her royal breakfast, because a human like me was approaching. This food was her source of energy for that day; her source of life, really and who would want to give up on that?
Automatically, I smiled at God and said: thank you. He was communicating with me something very encouraging for that day. Can you imagine being like that little grey squirrel, so consumed in the source of your life, that you are willing to ignore every distraction around you, and put your whole face- your whole sight, into that one thing? Can you imagine what knowing, that this source will truly give you life, would do to your senses; the trust that you would have? What is more important: getting fed and living, or running away and surviving on someone else's scrums? What kind of life you and I could possibly obtain, by sinking ourselves into the life giving God? What if you and I were so consumed in our God that it would be so hard to get us distracted, to scare us away or to even take our life away from us? If you and I get so consumed in our God, like that squirrel in her source of life, we would develop a trust for him, knowing that he would protect us if some kind of evil was approaching us, as long as we sunk our face deep into God, and directed our sight toward that him!
This story encouraged me to know, that God has not left me, and that he desires for me to be like that squirrel – consumed in him alone; the ultimate source of my physical and spiritual life. He is my food while I am calling myself a Christian, my source of energy in everything that I do that day. I need to consume him daily. The concept of being consumed in God, just like that squirrel was consumed in her food – think about that and imagine it! I told this story to the kids that Sunday morning, and to my surprise they loved it, perhaps because I was so inspired by it and so built up by the ever giving God. I know that when I leave this place where my food is waiting for me, I don't do well that day; I cannot love my friends and I merely live on other's scrums. What kind of life is that? A life of desperation…? A life of constant waiting for something more, while the true "nut" is right in the hole right in front of us, where many times, we have hidden it ourselves. Digging into it can get your fingers a little messy, but who cares, your face will be so focus only on that deliciously delightful food, that you will have no thoughts of looking at your fingernails! Only one thing will matter, and only one thing should matter – the kind of food that you receive; the life giving food.
"I ask – ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory – to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him – endless energy, boundless strength!" Ephesians 1: 15-19. M-Remix.
Galatians 6:4-5. M-Remix.
The other day, I was rushing out the door to get to church and to speak to a group of young people there. I was not fully prepared to talk, as my week has been filled with everything, but a diligent time dedicated to be with God. I had just enough time to ask him to inspire this empty heart of mine for that morning, trusting that even though I tend to fail him, he would not abandon me.
I rushed outside the building and on the lawn I saw a squirrel, doing what they usually do: eating a nut. I thought to myself: I wonder how close I can get to it? As I have always wanted to have one as a pet, or to catch one, or even just to touch it for a second, because I always hear the stories of how others have done it. So, I began to slowly walk toward it… I got about 3 feet away from it and it would not move, then I was about 1.5 feet away from it, and it still wouldn't move! So I stepped away, as this was enough to make my day! I was impressed! I think this was the closest I have ever gotten to a squirrel. You see, this squirrel had her face hidden deep in the hole where the nut was, and didn't want to simply abandon her royal breakfast, because a human like me was approaching. This food was her source of energy for that day; her source of life, really and who would want to give up on that?
Automatically, I smiled at God and said: thank you. He was communicating with me something very encouraging for that day. Can you imagine being like that little grey squirrel, so consumed in the source of your life, that you are willing to ignore every distraction around you, and put your whole face- your whole sight, into that one thing? Can you imagine what knowing, that this source will truly give you life, would do to your senses; the trust that you would have? What is more important: getting fed and living, or running away and surviving on someone else's scrums? What kind of life you and I could possibly obtain, by sinking ourselves into the life giving God? What if you and I were so consumed in our God that it would be so hard to get us distracted, to scare us away or to even take our life away from us? If you and I get so consumed in our God, like that squirrel in her source of life, we would develop a trust for him, knowing that he would protect us if some kind of evil was approaching us, as long as we sunk our face deep into God, and directed our sight toward that him!
This story encouraged me to know, that God has not left me, and that he desires for me to be like that squirrel – consumed in him alone; the ultimate source of my physical and spiritual life. He is my food while I am calling myself a Christian, my source of energy in everything that I do that day. I need to consume him daily. The concept of being consumed in God, just like that squirrel was consumed in her food – think about that and imagine it! I told this story to the kids that Sunday morning, and to my surprise they loved it, perhaps because I was so inspired by it and so built up by the ever giving God. I know that when I leave this place where my food is waiting for me, I don't do well that day; I cannot love my friends and I merely live on other's scrums. What kind of life is that? A life of desperation…? A life of constant waiting for something more, while the true "nut" is right in the hole right in front of us, where many times, we have hidden it ourselves. Digging into it can get your fingers a little messy, but who cares, your face will be so focus only on that deliciously delightful food, that you will have no thoughts of looking at your fingernails! Only one thing will matter, and only one thing should matter – the kind of food that you receive; the life giving food.
"I ask – ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory – to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him – endless energy, boundless strength!" Ephesians 1: 15-19. M-Remix.
