“Up From The Deep: From The Inside Out” is a post within the short series called The Wave. Please check out The Wave post page and the other posts in this series.
Ok, so this intimacy that you’re talking about Chris… I’m not really sure if I have experienced it to the level you’re suggesting is attainable… how do I know?
I think most people have had a deep, intimate experience with other people… have you with God?
True intimacy comes and goes in life. Unfortunately, God didn’t put us here just to live a life of bliss. In that regard, experiencing intimacy is like experiencing true joy. Savor it when you have it… hold on tight!
Savor the positive memories as well. Like the first impression of a smile and the healing power of laughter, the rhythmic beauty of the ripple will go far… and then its reflection will eventually fade… what will it leave behind? Many times that’s up to us to decide… what will it leave behind in our memory… and in our heart? That decision, in many regards, is made through the conscious decision of our focus.
While the ripple is a shallow pattern on the surface of the water, it is poetic… a reflection of the deeper character of the fluid… and, in us, our core… where our true identity, character and the level of intimacy that we can attain are defined.
Big wave or small, our time here is but a flash in comparison to eternity…
What story does your life tell? I can’t change the past, but when I look around I know that I want to be able to tell the whole story of what’s going on now… that’s the litmus test of how I’m riding the wave.
Finally, I know if I want to have true, deep intimacy in my life, with God and with others, I have to focus on me. I have to focus on just being me. And I have to be real. That starts in the core and the transformation occurs from the inside out. The ripple or reflection… my presence… is the last place it appears… where everyone else can see.
What are you waiting for? Start today… the gracedrops will shower you clean… puddles of blessings will soon appear… and you’ll have a chance to ride the wave.
The Wave… more than anything this is about working on me… how I need to focus on comparing myself only to Jesus. How I can grow and become better.
The Wave… Ride It… and Ride It Well.
How do I get there?
The Wave and our Presence… from the inside out.
I appreciate your thoughtful posts, Chris (even if I don’t *want* to follow your advice). Keep them coming!
that’s it for “The Wave” … This has been a pretty deep series, I’m looking at doing this again in January, but a much lighter series along the same heart/water theme. Thanks Carol !!