Sunday, November 29, 2020
First Sunday of Advent
But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and all your soul. Deuteronomy 4: 29-31
In a recent reading by Christian author John Ortberg, I encountered a word that perplexed me. Ortberg mentioned inviting God into our lives. Wasn’t God already in my life? I have always believed and felt that God, omnipotent and omnipresent, is always with me.
What was Ortberg’s message of invitation? My personal interpretation came as I created an analogy—to a road trip.
If I must drive to Savannah and back, I might invite someone to ride along with me. Depending on the person and situation, that event could be quite underwhelming. Sitting, chatting, complaining.
But, what if I invited that person into the connection of the event, the parts that change it from mundane to memorable. For this road trip, I imagined hearing favorite songs, overeating junky fast food, telling bad jokes, sharing meaningful stories, and ending with “punch drunk” laughter. In tomorrow’s text, it would be remembered as one for the books.
So, I literally started inviting God into the best parts, the connected parts, of my everyday goings on.
I recently returned to running. Where were the points of connection? As I invited God, I consciously listed them. The connections were to nature, wellness, strength, and betterment. I’m now running farther than I have in years.
To “Now I lay me down to sleep,” I added, “and connect with me.” God and I are deeply connected in rest, rejuvenation, warmth, and release. And yes, I’m sleeping like a baby.
Messages of harvest, bounty, gratitude, and blessing now complement every meal.
When I invite a friend to dinner, I offer my best—Grandmother’s recipes, the patterned China, even the good glasses - not the mismatched jelly jars. Certainly, I would offer the same to my greatest friend. And, like Mary, I would take the time to savor each moment. For unbeknownst to Martha, the dishes can wait. Connected moments cannot.
God has not come near me. He has come every preposition me--near, by, around, over and under. And mostly, with. And, with that connection, I am blessed.
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus. There is room in my heart for Thee. Amen
William Bolick
