If I had to sum up the past year in terms of my personal journey, I would say it has been a year of growing up. Turning 18, and dealing with all the implications of that change, moving away from home, learning to cook, managing my own money and time, renting a house for next year, paying deposits and bills, and learning to be independent. This all seems to have come a bit fast. Although I wouldn't say that I was necessarily immature a year ago, I do feel a very different person now to what I was like then. This has been a year of transformation.
Whilst it seems a bit scary that I'm suddenly in the deep end, having to deal with finances and tenancy agreements, I'm also very grateful that the Lord has gotten me through what could be a potentially difficult and spiritually dangerous time, relatively unscathed. Because just as I have had to grow up and become more and more responsible, I also feel that I have had to become more and more childlike.
Have you ever seen a child dance? When children dance, its like they have forgotten that anyone can see them, it doesn't matter what music is on or what moves they are doing, they are they purely to dance and have fun. After 18 years of waiting to grow up, to be independent and responsible, I want to live my life like a child dances.
When we find that our identity is in Christ alone, we know that our chains are broken. We feel deeply changed and want everything in our lives to be worthy of this love. This is hard for us, because we know that we are imperfect. But Jesus gives us the answer.
If we come before God as His children, childlike in our worship, dependent on Him, and without fear or worry, our lives become worthy.
I can remember being a child in Sunday school, totally enthralled and in awe of this idea of a God who could do miracles and wonders with one word, who could create the world and then come to us as a Human to save us. God sounded to me like a superhero. That childish wonder is something I want to feel again every day. I don't want my faith to be dictated by my academic understanding of the bible, or the events of my week, the things that are worrying me. I want it to be filled with childlike dancing, wondering at a God who is constant, who never grows old.
God promises, that if we humble ourselves before Him as little children, we will be welcomed home. And that to me is quite a bit more exciting then when a child finds out that there parents are taking them to Disneyland.
Wide, wide as the ocean,
High as the heaven above;
Deep, deep as the deepest sea
ls my Saviour's love.
l, though so unworthy,
Still am a child of His care;
For His Word teaches me
That His love reaches me everywhere. (Wide, wide as the ocean, C.A. Miles)Blessings to you all.
No comments:
Post a Comment