This was my daily meditation from Henri Nouwen Society, in my inbox this morning...
When we enter into solitude to be with God alone, we quickly discover how dependent we are. Without the many distractions of our daily lives, we feel anxious and tense. When nobody speaks to us, calls on us, or needs our help, we start feeling like nobodies. Then we begin wondering whether we are useful, valuable, and significant. Our tendency is to leave this fearful solitude quickly and get busy again to reassure ourselves that we are "somebodies." But that is a temptation, because what makes us somebodies is not other people's responses to us but God's eternal love for us.
To claim the truth of ourselves we have to cling to our God in solitude as to the One who makes us who we are.
Hmmm...I sure have had alot of solitude in the last many months, and maybe God is trying to tell my something? Maybe he is saying "Look at me...Listen to me...Cling to me".
I like being alone, but I must admit that I am not always productive in my so-called "quiet time" with the Lord. I find so many other things to distract me, or like the devotional said, I feel that when I am not distracted, that I am worthless. But I forget that my worth does not come from what I do, or even from who I am...but from the way I reflect the one who created me and loved me and delivered me. Solitude can be a scary place...the quiet can be deafening...and so I talk, I run around in all directions in a hurry, I BLOG, I worry, and I forget that the Lord just wants me to sit at his feet. He wants ME to cling to HIM...what a precious thought.
The word "cling" means, "to come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation". To resist separation. When I think of "clinging", I think of my children, particularly Sam right now. I love when I am feeding him and he gets his little fingers wrapped around mine and "resists separation" or when he holds on to my shirt; or when Jack doesn't want me to leave him at bedtime. It is like they are desperate for my presence and they will do anything to hold me there; right there with them. And this is what The LORD, the maker of Heaven and Earth, wants from me...He wants me to CLING to HIM...to be DESPERATE for His presence. And the amazing thing to me is that even when I deny Him that, His presence NEVER LEAVES me.
I read this verse the other day that I have read many times and for the first time, I really heard the Lord saying it...
"For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be His treasured possession." ~Deuteronomy 14:2
His treasured possession...I am HIS TREASURED POSSESSION...YOU are HIS TREASURED POSSESSION...WE are HIS TREASURED POSSESSION...what a precious thought...solitude...what a precious gift...May I forever be changed in the way I spend that gift...may I cling to the one who calls me HIS TREASURED POSSESSION...for HE is the GREATEST TREASURE.
4 comments:
So beautiful, Christine, you are such a lovely writer...and just let me say we are missing your beautiful face. We are praying that you are better this week and hoping to see you soon. Love you, JoJo
Some of the best things I am learning in this life come from my children. This post is one of my favorites, yet. You have such a gift of sharing the love of the Lord. So glad to have you home!
Hugs!
What a blessing and inspiration your desire for the Lord is to me. He calls our name in many different ways and we so often choose to ignore Him in our busy lives, failing to make loving Him a part of everything we are. What a beautiful reminder from someone who could certainly be choosing a different response to the Lord right now! Your picture of your children clinging makes me realize how far I am from giving the Lord what He desires from me. I am so glad you are my friend! Please know that even in your solitude and time being forced to be "useless," you are still blessing those around you in countless ways.
you don't know me, I just got to your blog from some others I read but I just wanted you to know that your blog REALLY blessed me today...thank you. I NEEDED to read that.
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