Is That Enough? Part II
The purpose of the first “Is that Enough?” article was to deal
primarily with my contentment of being in the presence of the Lord
vs. “Wouldn’t it be better if He would speak to me?” While I agreed
that being the recipient of His spoken word would be absolutely
wonderful, a great deal of my article focused on the unlikelihood of
that happening, so yes, I am content to enjoy being in the presence
of His company. After all, there’s no sense dwelling on something
that is not likely to happen.
However, it wasn’t my intent to disparage the idea of having a
personal relationship with the Lord just because I didn’t expect to
hear spoken-out-loud words from Him. I am a huge “personal
relationship with God” card carrier and I repeatedly use that phrase
in nearly every lesson I teach and article I write. I believe in it
wholeheartedly. For me, it’s personal, and not a popular catch
phrase that I use because everybody else is using it. I believe in
that concept with every molecule of my being.
Just because communication with God is not in an audible voice we
can hear with our ears, it doesn’t mean that communication isn’t
taking place, or that it isn’t intimate.
Let’s go back to the illustration of my friend and her husband
riding around in the car. Yes, having a two-way dialogue is great,
but there are also times when you might ride around without the need
for conversation. Just because no talking is going on, does that
make your relationship with someone special any less intimate? Or
that there is only a “relationship” going on when someone is
talking? Sometimes it’s in the silence that you can be cloaked in
contentment and peace, and be comfortable in just being in each
other’s company.
Even in the silence, communication is still taking place. For
example, being together with no words spoken communicates:
“Regardless of all the things that I could be doing, being here with
you is what I want to be doing right now.” “I’d rather be here with
you than anywhere else in the world.” “I enjoy your company.” “I
feel safe with you.” “Our relationship is so real, and so genuine we
don’t need words to prove it.”
When you’re in the presence of someone you’re not close to, silence
can be construed as “being bored,” or “having nothing to talk about”
or “having nothing in common.” When you’re in the presence of
someone you are close to, silence can sometimes be construed as a
common bond, a sense of camaraderie, and an intimacy that talking
isn’t necessary. Sometimes spoken words can actually banish the
intimacy felt between lovers.
Another comparison I want to make about relationships is the little
things that one does for another that says “You are special,” “You
matter to me,” or “I love you.” When you cook a meal, a special food
or a treat that your spouse or child knows you made especially for
them, they are receiving a type of that communication from you. When
they say “thank you” for some small thing that you do for them, they
recognize you were treating them with respect and consideration.
When you allow your spouse to watch a television program he/she
prefers over the one you’d prefer watching, that’s communicating
that you are putting his/her wants and wishes above yours. You’re
communicating respect for who he/she is in your life. Your tone of
voice, your body language….every aspect of how you portray your
thoughts and feelings…communicates something to the recipient of
your actions. The motivation behind your actions is the personal
relationship you have with them, otherwise, you probably wouldn’t
bother going out of your way to perform these special acts of
kindness.
The reverse side of that is when you are the recipient of something
that makes you feel loved. For instance, your significant other
calls and tells you not to fix dinner because he/she is treating you
to dinner. Your daughter tells you she’ll clean up the kitchen, you
go relax. Or; your grandson brings you a flower from the yard and
tells you he loves you. If there wasn’t the belief a personal
relationship existed, these little special touches wouldn’t happen,
or even matter.
During the course of my day, that’s how I portray communication from
the Lord. When I receive benefits and little touches in my life, I
prefer to see them as blessings from the Lord and a touch from Him,
rather than just seeing them as coincidences or with the attitude,
“that’s just life!” For instance, I constantly work on the habit of
thanking the Lord in all things. And, I have found that regardless
of how insignificant the matter is I’m thanking Him for, it gives me
a sense that He cares about me (like you doing those little things
for your family to show that you care for them).
Granted, I know that the Lord does not sit in heaven and orchestrate
which traffic light I should catch green, or which ones I should
catch red. But when I come to a light that turns green just in time
for me to pass through it without having to stop and wait, I thank
Him for that. When I find a great parking spot at Wal-Mart, I thank
Him for it. When I make it into the house just before the sky
unleashes the rain, I thank the Lord for it. When a car nearly hits
me, but I safely go on my way, I thank the Lord for it.
If a spiritual application jumps out at me when I hear a message or
while I’m doing my Bible reading, I feel personally spoken to by the
Holy Spirit, and I thank Him for it. When I suddenly remember
something in the grocery store that I forgot to put on my list, I
thank the Holy Spirit for reminding me of that item. As I’m leaving
for work in the morning and remember something I wanted to take with
me, I thank the Holy Spirit for bringing that item to my mind.
What I’m trying to say is, if I didn’t see dozens of little
happenings throughout the day as something for which I can thank the
Lord, then I could end my day never feeling anything personal
transpired between Him and me. If that happened day after day, I
would question whether there was anything personal about our
relationship. But when I thank Him for all the little insignificant,
as well as the significant things going on in my life, I feel
personally touched by God Himself throughout the day. And, just the
exercise of doing that draws me closer to Him.
It would be equivalent to my husband calling me on the phone
throughout the day to tell me he loves me, or he’s thinking about
me. But even though I don’t expect verbal words from the Lord, I
hear (or sense) that He loves me through each act of kindness for
which I thank Him. So when I talk to someone about the wonderful,
personal relationship they can have with the Lord, it’s this type of
intimacy to which I’m referring. It goes beyond verbal
communication. It’s that sense of Him walking alongside me
throughout the day, or sitting in the car seat next to me, of
feeling that I am constantly touched by His caring and His love. He
knows and understands every thought I have, every joy and hurt
feeling, and every emotion I experience better than anyone else in
this universe. And, unlike a best friend, spouse or child, His love
is unconditional and is never dependent on anything I do or don’t
do.
Top |
