be still. and truly know.

i've had the sheer joy and gift of conversation with some rather neat perfect strangers lately.
there's something in me that's sparked and ignited by meeting new humans.
i think it's the reality that when i come face-to-face with a never-before-met human i am no less than coming face-to-face with a Glory-carrier. i have the chance to no less than experience a piece of my God's creativity & beauty & personality...
if someone is human than they are no less than created in God's image. period.
they are literally a "mirage...a likeness...a resemblance" of God.
whether they are aware of it our not.
and it is one of our highest honors, and one of our greatest responsibilities i believe, to show other humans who they are because of Who made.
to share with them this eternal I AM Who loves with no less than an infinite, eternal love.
they, by their very God-given nature, have been loved, are loved, and will forever be loved.

i believe this so deeply. i really do.
and along these same lines, i just last week felt Him challenge me to institute a new personal daily discipline...i like to call it a new daily "rhythm" :)
He challenged me to take 30-60 minutes every day, whenever at all possible, to just BE.
to simply LAY before Him...and just remember...daily..."i am His. and He is mine. we are the work of His hands. and in the beginning...was Him and only Him..." this Triune God.
He did not spin this world into being because He was sitting around bored twiddling His thumbs, in need of some new hobby to occupy His infinite time.
we are not brought into this world to resemble some large version of hamsters just running, running, running in our own little hamster wheels so He can sit back & watch.
oh no friends. no no no.

I really felt His loving urge to take this daily 30-60 minutes to not even read or converse with Him on behalf of other...not even engaging in these VERY good and VERY right activities.
the urge from Him was straightforward, simple, and profound.
I was to simply BE with Him.
and daily remember that it is His world. and His heart is for us. and He is indeed working & toiling & intimately infused into every part of it.
and, yes, He indeed formed us to do every moment of every day WITH Him...to co-labor with Him and operate out of what He calls reality- the finished work of Jesus.
we are the ones- the called out, set apart ones. we are the ever-increasing army of Love advancing His perfect, right, true, eternal Kingdom.
"but we are HIS."
"the work of His hands."
and we indeed "have no good apart from Him" and "can do nothing apart from Him."

and, it's in these times of "being still before Him" of ceasing any & all striving [even the redeemed, disciplined, good striving :) ], that my soul finds deep, replenishing rest.
and it is in these times that I remember- no matter how much of His beautiful heart [or how much of the burdens of His heart, too] that He is kind enough to share with me...no matter what situation or confusion or dissapointment or disillusionment may come our way...
He indeed is on His throne.
and He indeed is not only good...but His is strong.
His eyes indeed "range throughout the whole earth searching out those whose hearts are fully committed to Him...that He may act on behalf of those who love Him wholeheartedly..."

and we are free to just BE, friends.
and we are free to be who He created each of us to be at our very core...
HIS.




"to return to the simplicity of Eden means to be utterly free of self-focus, possible rejection, and perceived pain or shame...the finished work of Jesus returns us to the simplicity of being children totally free to love and give and receive in our Father's world...
HIS.