I attended a young adult bible study for the first time tonight. The opening question asked us to describe what our ideal/perfect/best day would be like. So being the daydreamer that I am, I start imagining and creating a picture in my head. As I am overwhelmed by the crafting of this imaginary day, people around me begin to share their ideas. Some talked about warm and mild weather, others talked about not having work, and still others talked about spending time with their family. Although all of those ideas sounded good to me, I couldn't help but be struck by how average they were. The days they described were typical to every other Saturday in summertime for many people. Inside I was screaming- WHAT? This is your best day EVER??? Part of me appreciated the simplicity of it, but still I cried out for the imaginations that were clearly laying in catatonic stupor inside their brains. The discussion did not mean much, I know, but it revealed something important to me. We are content and comfortable with the ordinary. We are lulled into a comfort with what is normal, mediocre, and familiar. We aspire to nothing more than a slightly above average life.
So what? So, desiring a simple life is good, right? In some ways, yes, but as Christians we believe that there is a God who exists who is anything but ordinary. A God so creative, that the intricacies of His creation are mind-blowing. He is the God who crafted the universe down to every little microscopic spec and the God who encounters us personally and knows us intimately. Peel back the cover of "ordinary" life and there is an entire spiritual world behind everything. We believe in a God of great miracles and of unspeakable glory, and His desire is that we know Him- that we witness His supernatural presence in our lives everyday and that we ask Him for the desires of our hearts. AND all we want is a hum drum life of a constant 70 degrees Farenheit and a day off of work? WHAT? We need to desire the extraordinary- we need to desire to see God and see His glory and work for His kingdom. We need to desire adventure and the risk of living for Him and seeing the great victories of the King of kings.
I cannot even imagine the details of my ideal day because my ideal day would be beyond my imagination because God would totally amaze me with the events that would take place. I picture that day beginning in Haiti- before sunrise and I wouldn't feel tired in the slightest. It would still be dark and I would begin it with the lover of my soul- Jesus Christ and the Word of God would be alive in my hand. God would speak great mysteries and messages to my heart, and I would have little idea that those very promises would be accomplished in that day. I would cry and laugh with joy at the way in which my God would speak to me, in the way in which He knows me. The sun would rise over the mountains sending color through every cloud. And my ideal day would begin.
My day would contain so much laughter that my sides would almost burst by the end. The kind of laughter that is so full of joy and so uncontrollable- that spreads more easily than an epidemic.
My day would contain all the people I love and they would know in that day how much God loves them- and that love would transform their lives.
During that day, I would witness God's glory in a way I never had before, in a way that we would not be able to contain our shouts and singing and dancing in praise of who He is and what He has done. His works would bring hope to the poor. If in that day I must suffer so that God might be more fully revealed, then so be it. The Holy Spirit would fill us to the brim that we would have no need for food or sleep and would not grow weary of loving and laughing and working for His purpose.
There would be many children, white smiles in dark faces and none of them would be hungry or in pain.
There would be so much dancing and music and a cool breeze from a turquoise blue sea.
The day would end with rolling thunder and an incredible and terrifying lightning storm with lines of lightning etching across the entire black sky. The clouds would open in a downpour and everyone would dance on the roof and splash in the puddles and marvel at the power and beauty of God in His creation. And there would be a man- my best friend and the one God had chosen to share in this story God is writing with my life- one who loves me more than his own life who would take hold of me and kiss me in that rain a good long while and laugh and rejoice with me at the wondrous day our God has made.
I can be content with the ordinary, but I hunger for the extraordinary. Why not? My desire and imagination are gifts from Him after all. I am made in the image of the Creator who dreams and crafts and plans beyond the wildest imagination. So, be joyful in all circumstances but thirst for God Himself. Dream up the greatest day imaginable, and God will show you his dreams are greater and even more marvelous than anything we can think of.
Show us Your glory.
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