For as long as I have been a follower of Christ, I have struggled with BEING loved by God, just sitting in His presence and not talking. I have always had to DO something in His presence, whether it was reading the bible, reading a bible study, reading a book, praying, playing music, etc. It left me not feeling completely connected to my Father. The Father I should trust no matter what, and who’s presence I should long for every second of the day. More than those Chick-Fil-A nuggets, more than a fun night planned with some good friends, more than a long awaited road trip, more than a hug from a good friend, more than the hope of being married one day. God has been speaking to my heart in this past season that genuine love and worship for Him comes from the overflow of BEING LOVED by Him. Being loved by Him. Beholding Him. Being loved by Him. Beholding Him.
May we never lose our child-like faith to just sit and be content. No talking. Just sitting and listening. I love to hike. I love to be outside and get away from the hustle and bustle of the busyness of the world. And I love to feel free, not caged in by our schedules and to-do lists. God doesn’t have to-do lists or schedules. So why do we? If I truly trusted Him and had perfect fellowship with Him, I feel like every single step would be directed by Him. I wouldn’t need a plan. He knows best. I wish I could do that. I want to do that. I think that’s one of the things I look forward to most about the World Race- less plans, less schedules, less to-do lists. We will just be loving on people, being loved on by God, and loving on people some more.
Hiking is my little human way of getting away, from the distraction, and my weak human power to stay away from schedules and to-do lists and time frames. That’s why the gorge is my favorite place. I want to be on God’s time. I want His deepness, only obtained through quality time with him. I watched the movie the Shack last weekend and I think the reason I loved it so much is because it showed God as the God who is personal. He will take the time to go sit with us in the quiet place and take the time to get to the root issues of why we have been stuck in whatever it may be that we are stuck on or in. And He took him to a quiet place, away from the rest of the world.
I feel most alive when I don’t have plans and when I’m away from the hustle and bustle. No agenda. Away from the noise. Going on a hike. Sure, hiking and camping brings lots of unexpected stories to tell later, but I still feel full from it. As Irenaeus, a disciple of the apostle John, put it, “The glory of God is the human being fully alive.” Ann VosKamp says, “It takes twenty minutes after your stomach is full for your brain to register satiation. How long does it take your soul to realize that your life is full? We have to adjust to the stillness.” We have to slow down. The slower you go, the quicker you become full. I don’t want to gulp down my food, never tasting a thing. I want to sip. And taste the goodness.
