On the shores of my soul I give you permission
to wash my tears away
take all my disappointment
and
fill me with joy once again
Something about this song always drew me in with that first line.
Little did I know- until today- it’s an invitation into intimacy.
It’s an invitation, a choice.
It’s not an automatic response after a certain number of days or years go by.
Invitation.
I can say yes or no.
It’s my decision.
But there’s no pressure.
Some invitations include an RSVP.
An RSVP can either be presented out of need to know to hold one’s place: if you don’t respond you’ll miss out, your place will be nonexistent.
Or an RSVP will be offered out of courtesy: we’ll expect you whether you reply or not, you have a place.
The invitation to intimacy is NOT in the first category.
It’s an invitation that is COMPLETELY determined by you.
Your place is never taken by someone else.
There is a seat of intimacy with your name written on it.
There is a seat waiting for you- you will be welcomed by the host whether you’ve responded, shown up late, early, leave, come back, aren’t sure.
There is a seat waiting for you and a host ready & wanting to receive you to the party.
//
It may sound extremely cliche, but if there’s only one thing I gain from these travels and journeys, it’s intimacy.
We were asked months ago before we departed the airports of the states, “What do you want from this year? What are you going to pursue?”
I had forgotten about that question and my answer until just days ago.
I remembered as I was laying in bed unable to drift to sleep.
More often than not, during those unable to sleep moments, I will watch YouTube videos. Why? Because what else will I do when I’m supposed to be sleeping?
I had already done that, and was unsatisfied. It didn’t help me become sleepy.
So I stared at the ceiling and was left alone with my thoughts.
Papa brought the question to mind so quickly and started talking to me about what I answered and how he has so faithfully brought me into intimacy more and more over the years.
Shoot! He took me all the way back to when I was just 15 years old!
He showed me key moments he drew me close, where I responded though I was afraid.
It’s okay that intimacy is a scary thing. It’s okay, and I think it’s quite normal to have those feelings because stepping into newness and places you’ve never been can be daunting and scary.
But the assurance of his presence drew me in and together we went into places I’d never been before. Ha!
Intimacy.
Getting to know my Papa, experiencing his love, joy, hope and peace in my day to day life.
Letting him rewire my thinking, letting him heal my heart where it has been wounded.
Hearing what he says about me.
Hearing and receiving that he’s crazy about me.
Laughing with him cuz he loves to do it as much as I do.
Going places I’ve never been before and meeting people I have nothing in common with.
This is some of what intimacy looks like for me.
Thanks Papa!
What does intimacy look like for you?
There’s no formula. There’s not one size fits all, or a S, M or L. It’s personal; It’s tailored to your DNA. Papa speaks your language. He knows you best.
It’s an invitation.
When you’re ready, respond!
Your host [Papa] is ready to receive you.
That seat at the party is waiting for you.
You have a place.
On the shores of my soul I give you permission
to wash my tears away
take all my disappointment
and
fill me with joy once again
It’s a life invitation, not just a one year invitation. Or a one time invitation.
It has no expiration date.
It is a standing invitation to a life of intimacy.
