And that's where I'm drawing inspiration from today. That uncomfortable place where you know God is around, but you just can't make the connection. Going through the motions and wondering where He will surface again so you can quit holding your breath. Well, friends, I'm going to exhale. Will you take in a deep breath and exhale with me? Just try it. This is the place where our faith grows feet and momentum, where we lean in a little closer and instead of striving and contriving to reconnect and earn the goodness that flows freely, we just do the next right and good thing. We kiss our kids and love our neighbors. We scratch tasks off our to-do lists with a Heavenward glance every so often. We stir soup and run the errands; catch a cold, pay the bills and chase a dream, All the while, God's there. He's smiling, He's loving and He's near. These blank spaces, they are an empty canvas for God to lavishly paint His grace upon in the broad strokes of sunsets and falling leaves; the eternal and perennial reminders of purpose and seasons. This is where we learn the art of "be still and know" even when we don't feel. A time when well-worn patches grow from knees dug in a little deeper, hoping for that quickening of our hearts. From this place, we learn that we were created for this divine connection and the longing in our hearts becomes louder than the thrum of the chaotic rhythms of our lives. As deserted as this place can feel, we need it sometimes as a reminder to fill.
So, I'm going to log off here and go do the next right thing. Eat a sandwich. Smile at a stranger. Listen from a heart filled with "me too" instead of "you need to". Love my people fiercely. And every so often, I will glance Heavenward and smile. I have faith that my Father hasn't taken His eyes off me yet.
"Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever"-Psalm 23:6 NLT
