I was in the grocery store just now when a popular song came on over the intercom, washing all of us gray-haired shoppers looking for cereal out in a tide of smoothly-delivered angst. Very emotional song. Gist of it is that the singer wants to be awakened "when it's all over." I've got, regrettably, some very bad news for him. None of us is getting that opportunity. While everyone else wondered what else would make that recipe "pop," or where the Metamucil could be found, I listened to the blamed lyrics, every word tapping the sore places in my heart.
He sang that he wants to be wiser and older when said awakening happens, if you please. Again, no dice. We don't get to skip what we got right now, and we will have to make do with whatever we've got in our current psychological toolbox.
All of this pop culture/grocery store intercom philosophy was flooding over me in the wake of some serious, heavy-duty theological ponderings and readings I had dipped my toes into just before hopping in my red beetle and jumping down to Ingle's in a few scoots (I had ADHD back when they called it "blatant lack of self-discipline"). I was wrestling with some very deep concepts, wondering how to integrate them into my spiritual survival chest.
The crux of the matter is that we all came from God and we all have the opportunity to return to Him, if we accept the sacrifice His son Jesus Christ made on the cross. We have unique, individual destinies on this earth and we can chuck everything to learn what they are and lean into Him to see them fulfilled in His power. All of the intricacies of spiritual warfare and the deeper things of the Spirit will be fed to us bit by bit, as we are able to digest them, by the Holy Spirit. Sometimes I want to jump to Ph.D. in the spiritual realm while extending the commitment of a preschooler. Lord, please help me to do better!
If I want to serve God with absolute abandon and complete commitment to His purposes in my life, I will have to expect that there are concepts and secrets that I'll only learn as I diligently pursue Him. The Bible does not say that those who seek Him find Him when they look for Him in some things, some of the time. What it DOES, however, say is this: "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13, Holy Bible, New International Version.)
That means EVERY day, in ALL things, with ALL I have ALL of the time. Wake me up in the morning after I've rested well all night. I don't want to wait until it's "all over" and I've missed what I'm here for!
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