“For You are with me” Psalm 23:4**
My flesh reaches for independence — it’s what I know. You say to me that I am a pioneer, and I interpret that as paving the path alone. Just me and my thoughts.
You speak otherwise.
Incarnate God knows humanity. Holy God knows the safety that comes from humanity tucking itself inside of something — someone — so other. You whisper, hide yourself in Me. I come close. And I am safe.
So I breathe deep and inhale Your presence beside Me. Hand upon my back, You steady me. And I live Your words as truth.
I praise You, near God. I praise You God whose thoughts are close and whose arms hold tight. I adore You, one who engages with my moment-by-moment.
I shed the myth that my minutes can’t be won, and I run into You, God who is with me. My flesh falls into Your holiness, and I accept being enveloped. Independence gets lost in dependence and, finally — yes finally — I feel safe.
[Photo courtesy of Lucy O’Photography]
And I want more of the safety that Your nearness brings. I want more of You in my looking up, my falling down, my stumbling through faith and life. I want the nearness that doesn’t look in but lives within. I want Your nearness to overtake me.
So I worship You, the with-me God. And I say, over and over again, thank you for promising to take my solo treading and make it to know partnership. I was made to know partnership. I was made to know nearness, with You first. I thank you for creating me to receive You with me.
I worship You for your Oneness when Your nearness penetrates my seeming distance.
I love You, oh God who stands inside of my emptiness and makes it full.
**So what do I do with these posts, you ask, other than just read them? First, if you haven’t yet, read: Why I Adore to give you a context for this little space on my blog. (This post also gives context.)
If you are compelled, I invite you to participate. Set up a space and time in your own life to begin adoring. Over laundry or dinner dishes, on your commute to work, or in the wee morning hours — ten minutes is a great start. You can use the verse I list here every day or two as a launch pad for your own adoration.
Then practice praise.
Add to my adoration here, by posting a comment with your own words back to God about God …or hide it in your heart.
I promise your weary soul won’t regret it.
***You can easily subscribe to these devotional meditations as they are delivered, by using this feed: http://www.EveryBitterThingisSweet.com/posts/chai/feed or by entering your email address in the second box on the right-hand side… (scroll up a bit)
Additionally, all of the Morning Chai Posts can be seen, in the order of posting, by clicking here or adding this address to your reader: http://EveryBitterThingisSweet.com/posts/chai
