Caught Up in the Moment...

Tonight I had dinner with a really good friend. It was great to see him and catch up after a few months. While we were able to pick up from where our conversation last left off, it was also evident that a lot of things had happened to both of us over that time. After all... Life does go on. 

All of the above suddenly got me thinking that it is so easy for us, as humans to become absorbed with the daily motions of life that we forget for who and why we were placed on this earth. For Him! The past few days I have been going non-stop from one place to another: helping out with VBS, watching my wonderful "siblings", and attending a two day workshop for educators... the list just goes on and on. Over these last few days, It never seemed liked I had a lot of time to sit down and reflect upon Scripture or complete my daily Bible study devotion as I had become accustomed too. Instead, these things have seemed to sort of take a back seat, unintentionally, while I go on about the day's business. For instance, I haven't been able to enjoy my morning cup of coffee with the Lord, while pouring over the Bible or saying my daily prayers. But this also made me realize how important it is that no matter how busy things get in our life that we are able to set aside a designated time of the day to make Him our #1 priority. Sometimes that requires making sacrifices here or there. Like giving up that 30 minute TV show, waking up early, or in my case staying up later. Christ is always there for us, by our side, each moment of the day. Some moments allow us to feel Him better than others, but He is always there with us, waiting on us. 

This thought just goes on to show me how wonderful He really is to us. He longs to desire us and have an intimate relationship with us. Therefore, if we long to have the same feelings for Him why wouldn't we want to give up that TV show or 30 minutes of extra sleep to join Him for an early morning coffee date or an after dinner desert. After all, wouldn't we be willing to give up that time if for someone we were wishing and desiring to get to know more? Why not go ahead and do it for Him, to please Him? 

Ecclesastes 2:26 states "For the one who pleases him God gives wisdom and knolwedge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the work of gathering and heaping, only to give to one who pleases God". 

Also, it is important for us to realize that when we fall into the habit of becoming consumed by the daily motions of our life, we also take the risk of seeking fulfillment and desires from earthly things instead of spiritual. In other words, we become so consumed by having the newest and latest fashion trends or working overtime in the office just so we can make a few more dollars to spend on a new pair of shoes, etc. 
When I made my decision to become a woman set-apart (meaning I have decided to allow my Heavenly father to mold me in a way that is pure and loving to Him) I had to alter my perspective on what truly was important to me in my life. In a way I had to clean out the "garbage" to make way for building my intimate relationship with the Lord. For "it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" -Galatians 2:20. And yes, while it is normal to desire for nice things, like for instance I hope to one day have an office with built in bookcases or a nicer car, I do not live my life attempting to control these outcomes to happen. Which is one of the reasons why I suddenly find myself deeply cleaning out my house from top to bottom, donating or getting rid of those items or things that I know longer need, but can share with those who are less fortunate. And no I have not given away every piece of item or furniture I've owned, but at the same time who needs 3 red shirts or an extra lamp that works fine that has been collecting dust in the closet for the past year.

Choosing to turn everything over to Christ has allowed me to gain more time to focus on Him and our relationship than the earthly items I cannot take with me when I'm gone. It is important for others who desire to have that intimate relationship with him to realize , as well, that materiel goods are not the only "trash" that can build up in our lives and hinder our intimacy with Christ. Instead, that "trash" can be past regrets, old lies, making poor decisions, or even holding a feud with someone. There are times when we realize the trash is there and other times when we don't. Therefore, I strongly encourage you, if you are reading this, to pray to God to help you clean out the trash that has been stored up inside your heart for so long. Surrender it all to Him. We all know the past does like to come back to haunt us, if we let it, so instead of burying those thoughts and feelings deeper inside of us, giving them to God is the best thing one could do. As I've mentioned before, I do not know why I am being called to write this or if I'm even worthy as a result of my past experiences to share with you my journey, my story, to developing an intimate relationship with Christ. But what I do know is that no matter what past or present experiences you are currently undergoing, Christ is such a loving and forgiving Lord that He is willing to take all these negative things away... if we only let Him. Thus, giving Him full and ultimate control over our hearts and lives!

I will leave you with this, sometimes giving Him our heart will leave us with more mixed emotions than we may have realized. And it will be painful to come to terms with some of the decisions made. It was, and still is for me at times. But choosing to allow nothing to stand in my way with developing an intimate relationship with Christ, means more to me than anything I could ever imagine. Growing up, my mom used to always tell me to say the words "Jesus, I Trust in You" when faced with a situation or feelings I was unsure of or didn't like; so what better gift to trust Him with than your Heart! For in conclusion, we choose to get caught up in the moment of living for Him or we could choose to live for something that will only bring about momentary pleasure. The choice is yours.... what do you want to get caught up in?