Intimacy with God

Intimacy with God

“Therefore I am going to allure her;

I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her.”

Hosea 2:14

Today is a new beginning for me. New beginnings always brings to mind a sunrise spilling itself so sacrificially over the earth. It shines on the just and the unjust. It matters not whether what it touches is lovely or unlovely. It doesn’t mask itself with pretenses or thoughts of who should or shouldn’t receive its goodness and warmth. It’s there for all alike to share and bask in. You can ignore it, trapped in your own world and bondage or you can accept its gift of light, warmth and growth. It’s a choice, a decision we each have to make to look beyond ourselves, our own world and look deeper into the heart of God. To see through His eyes and spill yourself out regardless of who accepts and who rejects: regardless of the lovely or the unlovely. To be poured out selflessly and allow yourself to be loved and shunned by turn. Isn’t it what we were made to do? Accept the Father’s love and then share and show by example regardless of how it affects us?

The Father even experiences what we do in being accepted and rejected and it hurts Him more than us. Does He stop pursing His love? Does He stop wooing and calling to His beloved ones? No, hurt though He may, He keeps seeking and searching us. Not just non-believers but those of us that know Him and love Him. Why must He seek us? Because our lives are busy, too busy and in the bustle we fail to hear His soft words calling us away, calling us to Him into intimacy with Him. Why do we fight and try to continue on? Is it because we are afraid? Afraid of the all consuming love and force that seeks us? Is it that we fear we will no longer exist after He has enveloped us? Would that be so bad? The world won’t end if we run away with Him. Everything will continue for the world but for us, what awaits us our there in the desert with Him? Intimacy, love, understanding, forgiveness, brokenness, sacrifice, healing, passion, knowing the Father’s heart.

Intimacy as with a husband and wife can include all of those things. But most of all it is the losing of oneself to gain the shared life, the shared love, the shared heart, the becoming one. No wonder we fear but for just a moment does your heart quicken at the thought of it? To be intimate with the Lover of your soul. Try it. Go with Him and see where your journey takes you. All of the things you will find are the things the world can’t give you but you can show others upon your return. He is seeking and calling. Can you hear Him? Do you want to? Listen for Him and go when He calls and see what He has especially for you.

Generosity in the Face of Disappointment

Generosity in the face of Disappointment

My question is how do you face deep disappointment and not let it affect your spirit of generosity. If you have a giving heart by nature and those around you start to disappoint you, many times the predictable human reaction is to stop putting yourself out there.

What if your purpose was to put yourself out there? Being generous and giving an over-abundance of kindness on those that disappoint you as well as those that bring you joy. Just as God pours the rain and the rays of sun on the just and the unjust equally you pour yourself out to others. 

Why do we feel that it is our place to judge which ones are worthy of our generosity and kindness? Doesn't the Scripture talk about pouring blessings on your adversaries?  Basically one meaning of having an adversary is engaging in antagonistic activities against another.  I have to ask myself: "How many people are you antagonistic against?" At times that can be a lot depending on how much traffic I'm in. :) I find that when I am hurt through disappointment I want to lash out and the easiest and probably the most conniving way is to retreat with my generosity. The person may not suspect it but in my heart I have already committed the transgression. Yes, I believe it is a transgression to withhold something from someone that they need so desperately. Don't we all desperately need generosity from God and from each other? Isn't that what brings joy and grace to us? Generosity provided extends grace to that person. 

By generosity I am not just necessarily talking in monetary terms, which it can be that form, but the other ways too, such as, your time, your attention, your creativity, your cooking, basically your doing something for someone else to help them out, to bless them.

During this season I am trying to be generous even when I don't seem to have anything to offer. I want to be generous in return even when I am hurt, be generous through my disappointment. Honestly, I think that when generosity is given during these moments it means so much more and I feel so much more blessed that I did it; because after all when I do something I'm doing it as unto the Lord not unto an individual.