The unexpected journey: the journey continues

This past weekend I challenged the family to take the time they had been giving to electronic things and apply it to being creative. As summer has arrived and school has fallen into the faded memory of long ago, the activity of choice has been something electronic—ipod, ipad, computer games, and the like. My wife and I agreed that the amount of time had to be reeled in and brought back into balance. Since each of us have a creative bent, I thought it wise to use that ability as the game-changer. To date three movies have been produced, rainbow loom has been employed to make products to sell, I have been beaten at Chess once and the knitting needles have begun to create something. I also took the opportunity to reestablish some very valuable one-on-one time with each child. Since the 13-year old and I never completed our last reading assignment, we put that back in place picking up on chapter 13 of Wm. Paul Young’s book, The Shack. Regardless of your feelings about the book—it is quite controversial—it is a great read about building relationship—once you get past the setting and characterizations of the godhead. In fact page 189 offers such an insight into God’s willingness to draw us into his presence, that I want to post it for you to read. “Let’s say, for example, I am trying to teach you how not to hide inside lies—hypothetically, of course,’ she said with a wink. ‘And let’s say that I know it will take you forty-seven situations and events before you will actually hear me—that is, before you will hear clearly enough to agree with me and change. So when you don’t hear me the first time, I’m not frustrated or disappointed. I’m thrilled. Only forty-six more times to go!” Without taking the time to set up the context of the story, I would like to dive into its meaning. Consider this. God the father is so committed to having a meaningful relationship with mankind that he devised this massively complex and totally elaborate plan that included the horrific death of his son just to make possible that relationship. Mankind still has to make a decision to approach God, which means if he/she chooses not to, then the plan is of no consequence! How incredible is that? God takes a major risk—one that Jesus agrees with—on the option that mankind will choose to come close to him. Since he went to that extreme just to offer us the opportunity, it makes sense that once we said yes and began approaching him that he would equally do whatever it takes to make sure the relationship grows to the heights that he has intended mankind to walk in. One of the Old Testament prophets states that God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours. This is possibly an illustration of that prophetic voice. It brought a great deal of comfort to my heart when my son and I read this. As I pointed it out to him, he gave me a perfect illustration. He said that it is like studying math. You keep going over and over a particular formula getting it wrong and getting it wrong when one day something just clicks and you got it! I remember calling it another time around the mountain. Whichever application applies, the truth is the same. God the father deeply desires an intimate relationship with us—with you. God the son made that relationship possible by his willing sacrifice. God the spirit is in the earth today working that relationship into reality once we become willing to get closer to God. I am constantly amazed at the timing of the Father in getting the right information into our hearts at just the right time in our lives. I cannot tell you how many times I have cried out to him over the past many months about not understanding why we are on this journey; not knowing what his intent is for our going through it. Then all of a sudden—like it just clicks—I read something that puts a dozen pieces of the puzzle into place. This journey is truly incredible—when you rest in his trust and enjoy the ride.