A friend once told me that she gets excited at the sound of her husband’s keys on the other side of the door as he is coming home from work. Her heart skips a beat!
Now ladies, when your heart races at the thought of someone’s presence, that someone is not a stranger. When you smile at the sound of keys at the front door, the person on the other side is not just someone you’ve heard about. When you run to check your appearance in the mirror right quick before the door knob makes a complete 180, believe me when I say this: you and that person entering have indeed been in each other’s presence before!
When just the thought of someone’s return gets you all hyped, what you have with that person is called a relationship! A close one.
Relationships can be like that, huh? And not just romantic ones. Consider those moments when you finally see your child after 8 hours apart, or a best friend at the eatery on a long awaited Friday night out, or a co-worker you really click with who is back after a week long vacation, or a sibling’s phone number on the caller ID as they finally return your call allowing you to finally tell them the latest gossip (oops I mean prayer request!).
Bottom line: when we’ve entered into a good healthy relationship with someone, their existence affects us in a way that others may not understand!
You see, when I would hear her husband walk through the front door, I’d get annoyed because it meant we were going to have to end our telephone conversation! Why was she happy and I annoyed? Because my relationship with him was different. I knew his name. I respected him and admired her love for him—but I did not share all of her feelings for him. So those cues that he was coming did not so much move me.
Want to know what else I was not so much moved by? Here I go… Transparency 101…: The Word of God. Yes, it’s true. And chances are, I’m not alone! Truth be told, most of the sayings I’ve heard all my life did not move me. Hearing people say, “God is Good, all the time,” “He’s a way-maker,” “He arose from the dead,” “He’s able,” “He sticks closer than a brother,” “Lawyer in the courtroom…” etc.—these scriptures and biblical principles did not genuinely excite me or change my situation or mood. I heard it, quoted it, prayed it, closed my eyes really tight and said it 3 times (you know, 1 for the Father, 1 for the Son, and 1 for the Holy Ghost), but when I opened my eyes I felt pretty much the same way I felt before I closed them.
His Word was just that, words. Why did these words move some and not me? What was I missing?
A relationship. A close one.
If we want the Word of God to be more than just words, we must have a relationship with the Author.
What did having a personal relationship with an invisible God look like for me? Here it is: At some point after salvation and as I immersed myself in His word, I started praying myself, reading the Bible myself, and journaling for myself. When I was sad, I talked to God about it. When I was happy, I talked to God about it. I literally opened my mouth and talked. When I did not understand a passage, I asked. When I was excited about a passage, I shared it. Over time I noticed a sincere enthusiasm when I heard a scripture I had just read, or received an answer to a prayer I’d prayed. Ooohh, and don’t let me see a chance to apply a Biblical principle I’ve been challenged by!
Now, when I hear the feet shuffling of Psalm 71:20-21 on the welcome mat, the keys of Colossians 1:15-16 at the door, or the turning of Ephesians 3:16-18 at the knob—my heart skips a beat. I am moved! I’m like, “Girl, He’s here!”
The reality of His presence calms me and just the thought of His return gets me all hyped! Why? Because now He’s not just someone whose name I know. He’s not just someone I respect and admire. Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith, is someone I have a relationship with. A close one.
Well said!