Many of the people who read my blog have already heard a great deal about my South Dakota trip, so I am not going to say much about it here. I will say though, for those I haven't talked to yet, it was a very good, exciting trip and I had a really fun time! It was pretty straightforward, the work and the layout of the trip, and nothing "miraculous" really happened, but that doesn't mean that God wasn't sowing seeds and working wonders! Heck, He is ALWAYS doing that, isn't He???
Now there's one thing that I learned on this trip. Actually this is something that I have learned once before. Or twice. Or quite possibly a cazillion times. It just goes to show how hilarious and pathetic it is that we humans think we are so awesome. When really we're not. And yet I still continue to forget how incredible God is, and that He's even there. Oh but, yes, He IS THERE. Because well, um, God is in everything, knows everything, made everything, understands everything, and IS EVERY -FREAKIN- THING!!!
Also, God loves you, God knows you, and God sees everything that you are all at once. I am going to type that out again (and you, yes you, READ IT AGAIN). God loves, you, God knows you, and God sees everything that you are all at once. When He looks at you, which is all the time, He can see all of darkest corners of our hearts, the deepest spaces in your mind that you cannot reach, and He holds every fiber of your being close to His heart. Now that there is a very frightening thought. You cannot read this and tell me you were not frightened. OK, maybe you're not scared to go to sleep tonight, or you feel uneasy out of your brain, and hopefully you didn't just pee your pants, but I am hoping it at least got you thinking.
Here's another thing, God is NOT boring. When you actually release your imagination (which is (need I remind you?) hand-crafted by God!) and ask God to let you explore just who He is, then you'll be quite shocked and amazed at how wonderful and loving God is! It WILL NOT be like when you hear the same thing over and over, you know, about God's love? And you hear it so much you start to get to the point where you shut it out or get sick of it or forget just what it means? Sadly, that happens to a lot of us believers. It happens to me a lot *raises hand*. Because we humans are naturally empty and desire for more, it is going to take a lot for us to realize how loving God really is without hearing over and over. We have to live in it, but in order to live it we have to explore it, and gradually increase our knowledge of His love through that.
We must read the Bible with different eyes every time. That is the true visible word of God that we can pull out anytime (iPhone Bible app, anyone?) to study, explore, and gain fulfillment from. We must attend church every week a different person. The church is God's community that not only is a representation of but is unity, fellowship, and solid grounds of His kingdom right here on earth. Like I said before though, we can't just be hearing this or reading this over and over and not changing through it, we have to live it.
I remember going on a retreat last year where this speaker really emphasized the beauty of the human mind and how it contains the power of imagination. We don't realize this, but the imagination is a part of reaching the very cores of who we are and has the potential to be destructive or healing. I could go on and on about imagination, but I won't. The thing I want to emphasize is how important it is that we grant God control over the imagination, He will reach us in ways we never could (haha!) imagine!
Aaaaand in case you are wondering, I did NOT make this picture. Though it does look like something I'd draw... |
So whadduya waiting for??? DO EET!!! Surrender to Him like you never have before!! I'm off to do the same!!!!
Peace out, Bobby!
Great post, Bethany! :)
ReplyDeleteI love imagination~
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