So this morning I woke up early. When ever I wake up early I always think of a praise song we used to sing a long time ago that had a line that said "early in the morning I will rise up and seek thee". I thought for fun I would type "early in the morning" into an online bible study site. I was surprised how many things in the bible happened "early in the morning".
Well this morning I thought, 'I should get up and go for a run. That seems like a good idea'. As I was getting dressed a thought came to me, "Sam, you don't run, you aren't a runner. You are out of shape so either you should walk or rethink this. That and you have bad knees and need a different kind of work out."
As I stood there I thought no, I should start running. I hear so many people say they take a morning run with God.
"Sam...what about your Rollerblades"
Hmm, yeah...I haven't gone rollerblading in some time now. Everyone is still asleep and Aaron is home. I should do that. :)
I got ready and looked out at the sun rise. It is a good morning for this. As I started out I thought, hmm...not everyone has to run, not everyone needs to be a runner. Some people bike, some people hike, some people walk, some people Rollerblade. I am a Rollerblader. :)
I skated down to the bike path and followed it down the hill to a park. I love skating fast down hills and feeling the wind rush past me as I effortlessly glide down the road.
As I got near the end I stood and watched the sun glimmer on the water, listened to the birds near me, and watched the water and the sky for a while.
I don't remember the full extent of my thoughts just then, but I started thinking about God and the relationship He wants with us. How He is always with us like the sun shining on the water. Where ever I stood it was as if the ray of light only shone on me...but everyone else in the world can experience that too, at the same time. Just like how God is present with all of us at the same time.
I started thinking about how it's good to have reverence for God in our spirit, but in our heart to come to him like a Father. That those who have ever dreamed of what the best father-child relationship could be or was, still falls short of how amazing God wants His relationship to be with you. He wants us to see him as a child see's their daddy. Have you ever seen a small child look at a parent they hadn't seen in a while? Just two weeks ago I was working in the Children's Ministry room and Jasmine(age 2) had been in the nursery for 2 services. She was now running around with some of the other volunteers kids as we were cleaning up. She went around a corner and came back and looked up at me and with a glowing, beaming face announced "Mommy, I missed you!" and hugged me tightly and then ran off again on her merry way.
I think God wants us to feel that way towards him.
Then I skated away from that spot and looked up the hill. I thought about how much fun I have gliding down the hills and said "I will easily do the work it takes to skate or climb up the hill if it means I can glide down the hill." I started to think how that relates to our spiritual journey. There are times we really have to climb and work hard to keep going and other moments when we effortlessly glide down the hill with Jesus holding us up.
I decided to try going up the big hill to the right, but halfway God made me full aware that this really was not a good plan. I looked...I'm halfway, but my wheels got wet and I'm slipping. I could keep trying, but what if a car comes. I sat down and thought, thanks God for letting me know that I need to just turn around. But you better keep me up now if I glide down this hill because my wheels are wet. I stood up and flew down the hill. It was so amazing!
As I skated back up the trail I started thinking about God as "The Great Conductor" how he conducts the ebbs and flows of our lives and brings all the pieces in to make something beautiful out of his Masterpiece. I started to really pick it apart from the perspective of having been in band as a student. I thought, well...if God's the conductor...then the Holy Spirit is on percussion, on drums setting the rhythem. Then I thought...hmm, well what does Jesus do? Then I thought, he assign's the seats? Yes that's good...but maybe he's like the teacher who is there for band lessons. Helping us to get good at the part we've been given.
If a band was all trumpets it would sound horrible(ok, maybe to be honest, not horrible...I've heard some great trumpet solo's)...I remember sitting in my row and occasionally a trumpet piece would come up and I'd jump in my seat a little bit. They have something of a commanding presence. Christians can be like that. We need to all find our part, practice with the teacher, and listen to the spirit with our eye on the conductor.
Well...It's been an hour since I got home and hopefully I remembered some of my morning thoughts. I've realized lately that I really should write these things down more. I have them all the time, and I enjoy my moments, but I also forget them...so writing them down is Good!
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