GGM BLOG

A Reminder to “Be” with God

As I sat in my armchair, with rain lightly falling outside, and my pastor’s face streaming on my laptop, I was captured by the cooing of a dove outside of my window this Palm Sunday morning. The presence of doves near my apartment is increasing now that we have been in quarantine. I saw one the other day, and tried to take a picture of it, but it skittishly kept hiding, and eventually it flew away. It was a good reminder for me to just be present in the moment, to fully appreciate the beauty right in front of me, because too quickly it may be gone.

It reminded me of other times that I have tried to hold on too tightly to good things that come into my life. Wanting to control and consume, rather than holding loosely and valuing. Have you ever felt this way? Maybe it’s a deep connection with a friend or partner who you never want to feel disconnected from, or a child you wish could stay young forever? We often want to capture these precious moments, wishing they could always be ours.

This reminds me of Jesus’ Transfiguration, when Peter, James, and John are up on a high mountain with Jesus, and Jesus is suddenly surrounded by bright light and accompanied by Elijah and Moses. Peter suddenly wants to hold onto this moment. He suggests that they put up tents and create a space for them to dwell there for a while. Peter’s intentions were likely good, and how can we blame him for wanting this holy communion to continue? But I wonder if, in his urge to “do,” he was missing just “be”-ing in this sacred moment.

In contrast, when we look at Mary, the mother of Jesus, I think we see a different picture. After Jesus’ birth and the visits from the angels and the shepherds, the gospel of Luke tells us that Mary “pondered all of these things in her heart.” It seemed like Mary knew that all of these wonderful things she just witnessed were going to end. She wisely was present to them, holding what she could of them in her heart.

I believe that is the invitation for us when we think of spiritual formation: to be with God. To open to the Holy Spirit’s dwelling within us. Even our Christian activities, though good, are actions that we could still do apart from the Spirit of God. It takes practice to stay present to God in the moments of our day because even in our busy activities, we still may miss the holy moment that we are invited to experience — the quiet moment deep in our hearts, where the Holy Spirit already dwells. But “being” often goes against human nature, and it definitely goes against the cultural narrative. We often find our worth in what we are doing and the roles that we play. To simply be may seem like a waste. But our “being” is where God dwells. It is here that we connect to the One who tells us our true value. It is in the heart, our inner sanctuary, where we find commune with the Eternal One.

Today I invite you to sit with God and ponder the following questions:

What comes up for you as you think about “doing” versus “being”?
What are the things that you “do” that tend to lead you to feeling valuable or worthy?
What might it mean for you to “be” with God today or in this season?
What might God be telling you today about your worth?

As you close your time, I invite you to share with the Lord anything else that is coming up for you. Then quietly sit with the Lord, noticing what it feels like to be you today: your body in the chair you are sitting in, what you can hear, what you can see, what you can taste. Experience what it is like to simply be with God today.

The post A Reminder to “Be” with God appeared first on Gracious Gift Ministries.

An Invitation during COVID-19 Quarantine

COVID-19 has impacted all of us. Many of the things that bring structure to our lives, like going to work, the gym, school, or going out to eat with friends, have now been disrupted as we follow safer-at-home orders. As the pandemic unfolded, we had little time to prepare and vague timelines for when it will end. It came unexpectedly, and as a result, it can be difficult for us to find our bearings. It may feel like our anchors have been lifted.

And as we now adapt to quarantine life, we are left to be with our own thoughts and feelings. For some of us, that may mean new anxieties, like about contagion or the long-term financial impact on our economy. Or balancing working from home and bored kids, or feeling lonely and isolated. Social media posts reflect that people are worried about many things — gaining weight from a lack of exercise or an increase in eating comfort food, feeling guilty for not being a good enough parent, or feeling concern for caring for a vulnerable loved one who is susceptible to the virus. We can’t escape our finitude.

Typically, our busyness is a good distraction from experiencing ourselves. We can avoid or distract ourselves from emotions that we don’t want to feel. Because to be with ourselves means that we have to face that we might feel anxious, bored, dissatisfied, or frustrated. But the coronavirus has shown us that busyness is unreliable. It’s only an illusion of protection. We are still, at our core, who we are, and now there is minimal escape.

But, as Christians, we can hold onto hope that we don’t need to abandon ourselves. Though our typical anchors have been lifted, we have an anchor that is firm and secure. Hebrews 6:17-19 says, “Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.” Our hope in Jesus means that we are safe. God made an unchanging oath through Jesus, and God doesn’t break His promise. Jesus makes a way for us to be with God. We don’t have a distant security in Him, but His actual presence with us. We can face our anxieties because we are not alone. He is with us. Sometimes we avoid our emotions because we fear we will be lost in their abyss forever. But, instead, we can bring them to Him because He is our anchor — firm and secure.

It’s okay to be afraid. It’s okay that being at home is showing you the actual things that are in your heart — friction with a loved one, fear about the future, a desire to control. He knows this, and He is with you, loving you there. So I invite you to take some time with Jesus today — the anchor for your soul. Here are some questions to guide your thoughts.

As you sit with Jesus:

What feelings have been coming up for you during this time of quarantine?
What types of things usually feel like an anchor for your life? How are they the same now? How are they different?
What would it be like to give your current experience (thoughts, feelings, etc.) to Jesus?
To what degree do you experience Jesus as your anchor? To what degree do you not?
What do you need from Jesus today?
What might Jesus be inviting you to today?

As you close your time, I invite you to sit with Jesus. You may want to listen to this song as you do: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGe6ABM1tU0

The post An Invitation during COVID-19 Quarantine appeared first on Gracious Gift Ministries.