Marked by God

Who is God to you?

So I have just finished reading "The Shack".  I know, I am a little late in the game, but I was just completely blown away by this book.  I won't go into details because I don't want to ruin the story for someone who hasn't read this book. 

The book starts out with a dramatic life-altering event for a family and then goes into how this family healed with the help from God.  It is beautiful.  The only thing I will say is that the book shows who God is to that deeply hurting family. 

I see that so many times God is  placed in this small box of what and who He is.  Many see Him as the Commander in Chief... the Master.  Of course we are also familiar with the Father aspect of our God.  I wonder though....Who is God to you?  What kind of relationship do you share with Him?

See, God is many, MANY things to me.  And I think that He is many different things to each individual person.  The beauty of a relationship that you are developing with God is that you begin to see Him for more than just a Big Man sitting on the Clouds!

I would love to share my intimate relationship with God with you.  See, God laughs...and He laughs hysterically at times. There are times I just feel His presence and I know he is sharing in my laughter.  He is my best friend when I need that role filled in my life.  There are things I can tell Him that I would dare never tell another soul.  He accepts me absolutely unconditionally.  He also sits with me and helps me bare any burdens, grief, sorrows that I have.  He is my Father and I enjoy nothing more than making my "Daddy" proud.  I know He beams with joy when I have done His will and have put to use lessons He has taught me. 

Some may say that this is just my imaginary sense of God.  That is okay...the Bible never said that God is only "this" or "that".  Contrary, the Bible says that God is everything to everyone and that He fulfills your every need and that He desires you for intimacy and relationship.  The more you read the Bible and communicate with God on a DAILY basis...the more you understand how he created us to be in relationship with Him.  It is beautiful that who God is can be completely personalized....He is who you need Him to be for every situation He created you for.

So...yes, I tell God jokes, I tell Him when I am angry or sad, I ask Him to come hold me on the floor while I cry, I feel Him laugh with me and I see Him smiling with such pride at me.  I enjoy taking walks at the Eno River with my God...He particularly enjoys the butterflies and the deer!  LOL!! 

Who is God to you? Why not try to invite Him to join you for coffee or a walk today? Tell Him what you are thrilled about or what hurts you!  Ask Him to hold you....I promise you He will every time!

Randomness

WOW!!! I was looking back to see how long it had been since I blogged...and it has been a LONG time!  The world of "Twitter" and "Facebook" kind of takes away the person behind the one-liner status updates that are sent out by the millions on a daily basis.  Don't get me wrong... I get a laugh when I hear a friend "just saw a really big lizard" or that another friend "ate the best food she ever had", but I miss personality, emotions, and seeing growth and change.

So, to be totally random, as my thoughts usually are.... I woke up this morning thinking about change and about who I have become and who I want to be.  I was watching a show before bed last night and a woman was asked to describe herself in one word.  I started thinking that I would never be able to do that.  I can't think of one thing that defines everything that I am. This is where it got really cheesy (at least I think so).

I all of a sudden started smiling and just felt happy from head to toe that I could not define myself in one word.  I was absolutely elated at this idea!!!!  See, I have been criticized in the past for not being content with a job or needing to always change my environments, etc.  I always knew that there was nothing wrong with striving to always be something better (and I do not mean by the way of success or riches) but people made me feel that in order to be a mature adult that I needed to be consistent and predictable.

I will always change, not to suit others, but to suit whatever role it is that God places me in.  I have known for a long time that God has gifted me with very intense passion and empathy for people, as well as leadership abilities. However, I have come to learn that God created me with an unquenchable desire to do many things and be many things (and I think this better prepares me for His purpose for me and His Kingdom). Content is not in my vocabulary!

So..here it is....this is what I am in MANY, MANY words (and BEWARE... I may be a whole new set of words next month):

Changeling, never content but always seeking to grow the way God intends, sometimes hyper, sometimes boring, sometimes defiant, sometimes down right fun, artistic, creative, deeply loving, very passionate, motivated...DID I SAY CREATIVE and ARTISTIC???? Christian, Disciple, leader, moody, ever-evolving, mother, sister, daughter, wife, and the list goes on and on!

I think God probably had to wipe the sweat off His brow when he made me....and then thought what a handful I was going to be!!!!!

I love being me!