A note about something...

I've never just posted someones material, at least other than quotes on my blog before. I read this bit from one of my former youth the other day and asked him if I could re-post it on my blog. I hope it makes you think - have a great day - and feel free to comment on it, he's an occasional reader on Chris' Corner and I'm sure would love to hear your thoughts.

~C


I really like to think of God as a romantic. It fits, He loves us so much, and He just wants to be with us. It makes me feel happy inside to know that He loves me enough to leave heaven and go to this earth, and then to hell, just so I could someday come to Him. Amazing grace!

So, here is a thought. Jesus just wants to be close to you. Now just try and tell me that that isn't romantic, and I will disagree with you. Haha I just think that is great. It makes me feel so loved, it brings me joy to think of His love. There are lots of commands in the Bible about walking with God and obeying His commands and not straying away from them. Many seem to think these are rules to live by and make life boring, I admit that I have thought that, and I have thought that I don't need those rules, that I know what I am doing better than God does. But what if we take a different look at those 'rules.' Now, instead of them being rules to live by, they are ways that God can stay close to us. By us daily giving a sacrifice or time of prayer to Him, we are staying connected to the Lord. By giving praise, we are reminding ourselves of how good He is, and how much we need Him. And in turn, He gets to be close to us, which is what God wants. God wants us! How absolutely ridiculous is that?! Suddenly those rules take a different meaning, suddenly, they are ways that this God who actively pursues us, can get closer to us. Maybe even close enough to whisper some bit of Truth to us, so that we may be joyful in Him.

Maybe God is pursuing us each day, trying to get us to see Him. Just imagine being with the person that is that 'significant other' in your life. If you don't have a significant other, like me, just pretend. Haha it will work just fine :) Now don't you think it would just be super rewarding to just whisper some sort of 'I love you' to that person, and have them hear you, understand you, turn to you, and respond? I think that would make my day, and I wonder if God feels the same way. I think God is like the little kid who has a crush on that girl in his math class, and all he wants is to just sit by her and hold her hand. Only, Jesus wants to just walk with His church, His bride, and hold our hands and walk with us.

Detour!!! Seeing the church as a bride may seem weird to us guys, and it probably should. But, we have a different perspective on it. Women may see themselves as the bride of Christ (as the church) and know that they are deeply desired by Him. For us men, we get a glimpse of how Christ feels towards His bride(the church). We get to experience (merely a shadow, or the wisp of smoke, compared to the real thing) the love, sacrifice, determination, and desire to be with the bride. We get to see just a part of how God (may) feel towards us. Please keep in mind these are just my thoughts, so I could be totally wrong, it has happened before and will happen again. Quite often actually.

Back on track...
Jesus is just trying to scoot next to us. He just wants the seat that is next to us in the 'class of life' as it were. He is trying to reach to us with the blessings in our lives: weather, animals, plants, flowers, sunsets, friends, music, running, whatever it may be that touches your heart. God wants to be with you, and He is reaching out towards you. I don't know if you have thought about it before, but God really does pursue us. I never realized it until I thought about all of the things He has had me go through in this life. I think of the church events I didn't want to go to but was forced to, just so He could show me a little bit of His love and mercy and tenderness and grace. Until, one night, I finally understood. Or at least began to finally understand, I do not think I will ever understand how fully God loves us.