11-2-2020
Yesterday, she didn’t even cross my mind. It was a normal day for me playing with my kids and working. I did some laundry, made sure everyone was fed, and cleaned the kitchen. This morning I logged onto my social media and saw that she baked with her toddler yesterday. What a mess! “Like.” Keep scrolling.
A couple hours later, I see a video making fun of our current school situation. It’s hilarious, but it also makes me think of my friend since she’s a teacher. We grew up together, and she lives in a different city which means I don’t see her that often. With our quarantine summer, it feels like forever since I’ve seen my friend in person.
Thank you, God, for technology. I miss her and wonder if she’s doing okay with teaching during the covid times. I know teachers are already stressed out with several other things, so the pressure of extra cleaning and protecting the kids along with virtual learning must be difficult. She’s going to need some prayers.
I texted her. She confirmed that her kid is still cute and school is crazy exhausting. After a few more text messages, I went on with my day.
She’s my long distance friend, and we can pick up right where we left off when we see each other in person. However, our bond is not as strong as when we had the same teacher in elementary school, when we saw each other at girl scouts and dance class, and when she practically lived at my house after school. In high school, our lockers were next to each other, we played volleyball together, and she even drove me to school a lot. We had all the time to talk, play, laugh, and do nothing together. I was committed to our friendship then, and I still am today.
My relationship with God has been similar. I’ve gone through times where I’m worshipping a couple times a week, reading and journaling the Bible daily, and praying constantly. I put God’s word into my mind and soul, and put out all the righteousness that fills me. I can feel God’s presence more and more, and his guidance on my life is easier for me to identify.
I’ve also had times when my relationship with God struggles. It’s my fault. I thought I could worship just as well without being in church. I thought I could simply read the Bible occasionally since I’ve already heard all the stories. I thought I could pray before my meals and say a blanket prayer for everyone and everything in my life. But how do you have a good relationship with someone you don’t talk to frequently?
You don’t.
You can have a relationship with them and even share deep secrets and meaningful conversations, but it’s not the same as hanging out with them and doing everything together. I’m still committed to our friendship. I’m here if she needs to talk, I’ll send her kid a birthday gift, and I’ll make sure she knows my major life events.
However, I’m not only committed to Christ, I’m also submitted to him. That means I recognize Him as the authority in my life, and I obey His will and want for me. If He wants a relationship with me wholly, then I need to give Him everything I’ve got. I get to hang out with Him, worship Him, talk with Him, learn about Him, ask Him, follow Him, and delight in Him. Oh, it fills my heart just thinking about the connection we could have if I truly gave it my all.
Quarantine taught us to appreciate going to church, participating in corporate worship, and having in person fellowship. I don’t ever want to lose that part of my relationship with God and other Christians. I am realizing more and more how much I need God in my day. Long distance relationships can be good, but our God isn’t a far away God. He’s here. He’s in us and with us. We need to act like it. What relationship is more important?
1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.”
Psalm 37:3-6 “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.”
I recently read a book that discussed bathing in prayer. When you think about what bathing is and how often it must be done, it is quite the challenge. The last two weeks that is the kind of praying I have been doing. Yet it doesn’t work unless I have a daily, constant relationship with my holy God.