My son, Mark, is working at a family camp this summer. While the mountains are breathtaking, the friends are plentiful, and the food is every teenagers dream, he's missing home. Not horribly- but just enough to tug on the vulnerable places of his heart.
So, mama knew her boy needed some sweet comfort from home. I packaged up some things he needed and a few things that I simply knew would make him happy and sent my gift of love.
After a few days, I kept wondering when I'd get a text message from him with smiles and thank you's and wow- you're the best mom ever. A girl can dream right?
But no text message came.
Each day that went by I got more and more frustrated by his lack of acknowledgement of my gift. Then I started to wonder if he'd ever even received it. So, I had Art, my non-emotional man cub, call because he could simply ask, "Did you get the package from mom?"
My female emotions don't let me ask simple questions and leave it at that. I sometimes feel compelled to do investigative studies on the deeper meaning that is surely behind every action. I blame it on hormones y'all. They are the delight of all man kind.
So, Art calls.
Mark simply said, "Oh yeah, I did get a box from mom but I haven't opened it yet."
Hunh?
Who gets a gift of love packaged up and sent to them and doesn't even take the time to open it?
In that moment I felt the Holy Spirit prick my soul,
"Lysa, sometimes you do this very same thing. Oh if you only knew the number of experiences God himself has packaged up and sent your way that you didn't take time to open...
Or the number of times God has planted a bunch of wildflowers at the end of your driveway just to make you smile but in the rush of where you were headed, you didn't notice...
Or the number of times God has treasures in his Word waiting for you to uncover that would perfectly prepare you for something you'd be facing that day if only you'd lingered with Him a little longer."
Psalm 14: 2 says, "The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God."
I wish this verse were worded differently. I wish this verse read, "The Lord looks down from heaven to see MANY who understand, MANY who seek God." But that's not the reality of the verse. And sadly, sometimes in the rush of all I feel I must do, it's not the reality of my life.
I want it to be. But my soul is so prone to distractions.
Seeking- really seeking- is more than just reading a few verses in the morning and trying to be a good person that day. Seeking requires me to sacrifice the things I feel compelled to chase after so that I can be available to notice God's clear direction.
Whatever we chase, like it or not, gains our full attention.
And I wonder sometimes why I feel a little insecure- a little unsettled- a little disappointed with things I thought would make me so happy. I guess you could say sometimes I get a little homesick.
While I love vacationing here in this world for what I think will be 80 or so years, I know where my real home is and I know who is waiting for me there.
And now I know He takes time to tie up little care packages from home - a few things I need and a few things He knows will just make me happy.
Then God waits... to see... if I'll notice... if I'll remember... if today will be the day... that I lift up my face... pause in the busyness... and seek, really seek Him.
So, mama knew her boy needed some sweet comfort from home. I packaged up some things he needed and a few things that I simply knew would make him happy and sent my gift of love.
After a few days, I kept wondering when I'd get a text message from him with smiles and thank you's and wow- you're the best mom ever. A girl can dream right?
But no text message came.
Each day that went by I got more and more frustrated by his lack of acknowledgement of my gift. Then I started to wonder if he'd ever even received it. So, I had Art, my non-emotional man cub, call because he could simply ask, "Did you get the package from mom?"
My female emotions don't let me ask simple questions and leave it at that. I sometimes feel compelled to do investigative studies on the deeper meaning that is surely behind every action. I blame it on hormones y'all. They are the delight of all man kind.
So, Art calls.
Mark simply said, "Oh yeah, I did get a box from mom but I haven't opened it yet."
Hunh?
Who gets a gift of love packaged up and sent to them and doesn't even take the time to open it?
In that moment I felt the Holy Spirit prick my soul,
"Lysa, sometimes you do this very same thing. Oh if you only knew the number of experiences God himself has packaged up and sent your way that you didn't take time to open...
Or the number of times God has planted a bunch of wildflowers at the end of your driveway just to make you smile but in the rush of where you were headed, you didn't notice...
Or the number of times God has treasures in his Word waiting for you to uncover that would perfectly prepare you for something you'd be facing that day if only you'd lingered with Him a little longer."
Psalm 14: 2 says, "The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God."
I wish this verse were worded differently. I wish this verse read, "The Lord looks down from heaven to see MANY who understand, MANY who seek God." But that's not the reality of the verse. And sadly, sometimes in the rush of all I feel I must do, it's not the reality of my life.
I want it to be. But my soul is so prone to distractions.
Seeking- really seeking- is more than just reading a few verses in the morning and trying to be a good person that day. Seeking requires me to sacrifice the things I feel compelled to chase after so that I can be available to notice God's clear direction.
Whatever we chase, like it or not, gains our full attention.
And I wonder sometimes why I feel a little insecure- a little unsettled- a little disappointed with things I thought would make me so happy. I guess you could say sometimes I get a little homesick.
While I love vacationing here in this world for what I think will be 80 or so years, I know where my real home is and I know who is waiting for me there.
And now I know He takes time to tie up little care packages from home - a few things I need and a few things He knows will just make me happy.
Then God waits... to see... if I'll notice... if I'll remember... if today will be the day... that I lift up my face... pause in the busyness... and seek, really seek Him.
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