Friday, May 26, 2006

Longings... Part 2

Another friend told me about a sermon at his church on Isaiah 64. It was about "pressing problems" and how often the things we bring to others and God are not really the root issue that is bothering us. He meets us where we are at but turns us toward the root issues that lie beneath. I think this is so true!
Sometimes I get too caught up in it, trying to see what is really screaming out from my heart. I know God already knows the things which we are really groaning about. I think taking a deeper look helps us see how he answers our prayers clearer. It also makes us aware of parts of us where we really need to be transformed.
The example I thought of is how I talk to my girls when they are dying to be in a relationship. I hear their anguish but sometimes we can get at what is causing it to seem like such a pressing issue at the time. Sometimes it is lonliness or feeling undesireable. We think having someone is surely the best solution to those problems. Sometimes God doesn't choose to move in that way at that time but he does bring others around you to address your lonliness or he reminds you of your true identity through scripture, conversations with friends, music... If we are just looking for the solution we have come up with we are going to miss how God is reaching out or something he is trying to work in you right at the moment.
I want to be exposed to myself, I want to see what I am longing for. I want to stand with God and have my eyes open as he looks over me in my vulnerable, exposed state. He can make sense of it so much better than me and he whispers the hope of what could and will be.

1 comment:

Thomas_P said...

Thanks for the message...I identified a lot with what you said. Sometimes I sit and try to think of the deeper meaning in, well, about everything. Sometimes it wears me out...sometimes I am even frustrated with myself when I can't find it. I haven't really thought of anything interesting to me in the past couple of weeks...and that's why I'm looking for inspiration. This last semester I was able to think deeper about stuff all the time...now not so much. I am just trying to find what it was that inspired me then but not now. Maybe God is just giving me a chance to relax? I like your "longings" posts by the way. I've found that when I'm brutally honest with myself and honest with others about myself (including God)...life is so much easier.