Hello!
I wanted to share with you all something my team has been learning. It may seem like a lesson from a textbook at first, but trust me when I tell you that learning and practicing this deepened my intimacy with God hugely.
“They” say (I actually don’t know who…) there are seven ways that one can experience God. Obviously God is not limited to these seven ways, but I think they sum it up pretty well.
The seven are:
1. Nature. There are people who can look at a sunset or mountain and just feel closer to God through His creation.
2. Contemplative. This one is for the quiet timers out there. The people who experience God through journaling or just being alone with Him.
3. Experiential. The worshippers out there in the world. The ones who find God most in praising Him.
4. Aesthetic. These are the people who find God in beauty. Whether it’s painting a picture and experiencing their Creator through creating, or feeling closer to Him through walking around an antique shop and looking at all the beautiful treasures.
5. Activist. The people who find God in serving Him in tangible ways; in doing physical things for the Kingdom.
6. Student. The bible-lovers out there who experience God’s presence and feel closer to Him through reading His word.
7. Relational. The people lovers. The people who see and experience God through godly fellowship and community.
Like I said before, God isn’t limited to just these seven different approaches. But I think each and every person can say they lean towards some of these, and not others. For me, I am very strongly contemplative and student. And it’s harder for me to find God relationally or through nature.
My team decided to spend an hour each day of the week to seek God through each of these approaches.
Monday, day 1, was Nature. I automatically assumed that I wouldn’t experience God as strongly as I would if was journaling or reading my bible. But I sat there anyways, watching the sky turn from orange, to pink, to black. I remember looking down at a toad uncomfortably close to me. I tried to shoo it away, and unlike any other toad in Nicaragua, it wasn’t scared and would not budge. It just stared at me. It was then that God whispered to me, “This is all for me, to bring Me glory.” He didn’t have to create toads! But he did, a hundred different kinds of them! I looked up at the stars that were starting to appear into the sky. All of it was created for his glory! I began to look around at all the different things He created, and I started to see it all as an unending song of praise to their Creator. The trees, the sunset, the birds, and the moon. I then realized that I was created for His glory, too. I, too, can join Creation in their beautiful song to the Creator. WOW!
This was all just in day 1! I assumed that I wouldn’t experience God as strongly in nature, but the second I tried, He had so much to show me!
I won’t go on to describe each day because I would rather not make you read for forever. However, each day brought a new way to know our HUGE God and experience intimacy with Him in such unexpected and beautiful ways. It’s also been an amazing experience to learn all of this alongside six other girls!
That’s something my team and I have been learning this past week. I encourage you to seek God’s presence in ways you normally wouldn’t. He has so much in store when you do!
Much love,
Sabrina
