I am excited to go on the World Race because I am thirsty.
It began many months ago, but I sometimes notice myself consciously thinking that I am parched. The kind of parched you become after a long, dehydrating run, in the heat, on a dusty dry path, with no shade in sight. And it's in that kind of thirst that all you want is pure water. Not tea, not lemonade, not your mom's best homemade punch, and especially not "warm unfiltered goat's milk" as my friend Julie would say.
I am full of good motives. And I was surprised to learn that good motives don't always keep you on the right track. In university, I was motivated to learn about everything and everybody – which is beautifully healthy, helpful, and needed in life, but can be unproductive and maybe damaging if done without strong anchoring. I let my anchor have some slack, a little here, a little there. And yes guilt and shame are real things, and yes there's a time for conviction and asking forgiveness, but ultimately God is love, and He's sooo understanding, compassionate, and overflowing with grace. University was one heck of a long, dehydrating, hot, dry, dusty, tree-lacking run, but here I am, thirsting for one thing, like that water. But in this case it's a spiritual thirst, and it's the One True God I am aching for.
I might be wrong, but right now I think that maybe life isn't all black and white – but you know what? There are some things that are just too beautiful to pass up with God, like a relationship with Him, a life with Him. Let's not see Him as a one-time salvation service provided to humanity. He's real, living, has a personality. He laughs, He feels, He thinks, He likes to chat just as much as we do. He loves having fun, and above all else, He's that friend who will always be there. I imagine He has the most beautiful eyes that you could look into all day, eyes full of understanding, love, care, protection, belonging, a place we can call home. And you know what, I bet He has a great smile.
