Friends who have spent time in prayer with me have at times found reason to giggle because of the way that I relate to the Father. It is not unusual if I sneeze or cough during prayer that I would say, “Excuse me, Lord.” It’s not something I do on purpose, but a natural reaction of my upbringing to be polite to whomever I am speaking to at the moment. It may seem funny, but if it’s Him I’m talking with, it has never occurred to me that I would not be polite to Him too. Of course, no doctrines should be made of these types of things, but my friends and husband do find it to be comical at times.
I have always related to God as a real person, which of course, He is! There is nothing worse than trying to fellowship with someone you feel is a million miles away and has little or no care for you. God is not a million miles away, and He is not an absentee Father. The Bible tells us that He is closer than a brother and will never leave us of forsake us. I know He is there whenever I need Him, no matter where I am or what I am doing. Some of my best conversations with God have been on a swing in a park, sitting by a stream on a breezy day, or driving with the windows down in the car enjoying the sunshine. My heart gets overwhelmed and I go to tears just thinking about how much I enjoy being with Him. Yet, as wonderful as my fellowship is with Him, a wise teacher taught me that there is always better! We are to constantly be moving from faith to faith and from glory to glory. That’s how awesome God is. No matter how good you think something is now, He ALWAYS has something better!
I had a moment like that a few months ago when my heart moved to a new level of recognizing Father God as real and intimately acquainted with me in every way. For our wedding anniversary, my husband had taken me to a concert of one of my favorite Christian recording artists. The reason he is one of my favorites is that he is able to lead a group of people to amazing heights in worship where you are simply saturated in the presence of God. In the few months leading up to this time, Pat and I had faced a lot of major life challenges and suffered some heart-wrenching disappointments. Although we had never lost faith, the battle had taken its toll on us both and it was truly a daily choice to “not be weary in well doing.” So, this night away to worship together was a welcomed break.
The concert was as wonderful as I expected it to be and was really a worship service as opposed to just a night of entertainment. We laughed and shouted and during praise, and then as we moved into worship, we sat and cried as the healing presence of God invaded our hearts and brought a delightful refreshing to our souls.
Then it happened. It was so unexpected that it startled me when I realized what I had done. As I was standing and worshipping Father God, I was completely caught up in Him and lifted my face toward Heaven and with my hand, blew Him a kiss. You know, the kind of kiss your toddler first learns to give you? As an adult, it is the sweet expression you reserve for people who mean the most to you when you see them nearby but are not quite close enough to embrace. It was a moment when I could see Him so clearly and wish I was even closer, but that kiss was a token of my love until the day when I sit at His feet and worship. It was a reminder that as wonderful as our fellowship is, I am still seeing through a glass darkly. That somehow the Love, Goodness, Mercy and Grace that is before me is even better that I am able to comprehend while here in this world.
How long has it been since you moved from glory to glory in your relationship with Him? Don’t ever settle; no matter how far you have come, we must all say with Paul, “I count not myself to have apprehended….” There are deeper depths and more glorious heights that await us as we journey through life with the Great I AM. Don’t let schedules and delays frustrate your fellowship with Him. Take a moment, anytime, anywhere, as often as you can, and in your own special way send a message of love to the Father you adore. It may seem silly to some, but from now on when I come into His presence, yet still realize I am not as close as one day I will be, I take a moment, lift my head, and blow kisses to Heaven.