journey onWord with us

She’s doing it again this year. My wife is meticulously placing every Christmas decoration in its appropriate place to be securely stored and protected until it’s their time to shine again. That is what happens every year on the west side (my wife’s side) of our basement. Travel to the east side and it’s a different story. Material from ages past is stored and stacked quite insecurely, just waiting for an immediate season of reason. The precious words, quotes and torn out pages are of immeasurable value to me, and today I’ll be sharing again some counsel from that which resides on the east side.

One amazing treasure I found just recently was a story about the great theologian Dennis the Menace. He was having his prayer time, and his experience replicated what I sometimes feel. Picture in your mind, bedtime prayers. Dennis is kneeling. His hands are folded. He’s looking heavenward, wearing his pajamas, cowboy hat and cowboy boots. His six-shooter is strapped to his side. The caption under the cartoon reads: “I’m here to turn myself in.” O, how many times have I found myself so lacking in practicing my spiritual disciplines that I just need to “turn myself in.”

Also in my stack (of basement treasures), were some torn pages from old Turning Point (David Jeremiah) magazines. They’re about ten years old … and still very relevant. What great reminders of living in the present!

• “Living in the present has to mean living in His presence if we are going to hear His voice and follow His lead.”
• “Jesus lived in the present, moment by moment, so He could live in the presence of the Father and enjoy every blessing, calling and opportunity. And that’s what God wants for us. He wants us to be available to Him and to others. In order to hear His still, small voice, we’ll have to dial down the loud, large voices of the world.”

A final (for now) treasure hidden beneath the stacks of paper on my side of the basement sources from a cut-out laminated copy of a John Ortberg book (not sure which one). Pastor Ortberg gave me timeless counsel that I am re-using. Consider just a few of his words:

• “My task is to meet God in this moment.”
• “Coming to recognize and experience God’s presence is a learned behavior; I can cultivate it.”
• “God is always present and active in my life, whether or not I see Him.”
• “I am always tempted to live “outside” this moment. When I do that, I lose my sense of God’s presence.”

Could it be that you, like me, struggle to live in the present and meet God in each moment? Of course, we do. It may be good to just dust off one of the treasured quotes above and meditate on it for a few days. For me, (and us all), there is a direct correlation between living in the moment and in His presence, and how well our lives impact others. Think about it!