When I first returned to Jesus my relationship with Him was deep and rich, spontaneous and beautiful, simple and utterly delightful. When I started spending time with other Christians, it became a complicated duty, full of rules and expectations, increasingly devoid of the love and tender devotion that enraptured me at my salvation. God did not complicate our relationship; the opinions and rules of people did.
When I adopted my dog, Riley Eira, the Holy Spirit began using little interactions with her to tell me stories, to reveal His heart to me, and restore to me the simplicity of my love relationship with Him.
I struggled. The opinions of people were so engrained that every time I stepped out of the box fear of being criticized and looked down upon as a “lesser Christian” or somehow inferior sent me running. I’d have weeks of delight, coming alive in His presence again, drinking deeply of the words of His lips only to shrink away with the slightest perceived criticism. Sometimes I’d go months filled to overflowing with the bounty of our relationship, practically soaring in worship and prayer and renewed passion only to have some obscure trap grasp me and pull me to the ground with a thud.
Now and again, over the years, the Lord has reminded me that our relationship was simple because it was mine and His. It was birthed in the heart of who He created me to be. It was the spontaneous things that sprang from my unique and individual expression of adoration that made it simple and beautiful, and ours alone. And in the same way, He wanted every Christian to have a relationship equally as simple, delightful, and beautiful because it springs naturally from their own heart and identity.
There is the one who rises early to have communion with Him as the sun comes up and never misses a day. Another starts the day curled in a blanket in a special chair with coffee or tea and immerses themselves in the Bible and His presence. One sneaks away to their car on their lunch break, pulls out their guitar, and loses themselves in love songs to the Beloved one. And yet another, speaks to Him in their heart all day long. One dances their prayers and adoration, while another lays face down before Him for hours a day pouring out their heart. One sits in stillness, meditating on His heart and the Kingdom. While another can’t contain the rapturous love that draws them to tell everyone they see about their Beloved one. One puts the children to bed, crawls under the covers, and delights their heart in the Word and prayer as they drift off to sleep and another carries scripture in their pocket to read and ponder throughout the day. None of it is wrong…until we make it a pattern that others must follow and a rule by which we judge the quality of their relationship.
It is the unique celebration of our individual identities that allows us to be the one-of-a-kind expressions of God’s heart, identity, and love that we are. The church is not meant to be made up of a bunch of people following patterns created by men. We are to be a family of lovers of Christ, each growing in our own ways closer to Him and showing forth His glory in ways that only we can. We are a riotous demonstration of the immeasurable, incomparable heart of the Holy One Who calls us by name and delights in what makes us different and special.
When I was in the hospital this is one of the things Holy Spirit and I spoke about at length. A reminder of the message woven into my DNA that must be shared.
Then, this morning, as I wrapped Riley in a soft blanket and snuggled her, kissing her little face and her oh-so-warm tummy, I heard Him whisper – “This is devotion. It is as simple as a spontaneous shower of attention just because you have the opportunity to do it and it is special because it is expressed without coercion, straight from your heart. This is what I miss in our relationship.”
My heart was filled with longing and as I snuggled Riley, I turned my attention to the Lord and began to talk to Him, “Good morning, Abba! Good morning, Holy Spirit! Good morning, Jesus!”
I didn’t have to be somewhere specific. I didn’t have to have everything just so. And there, just snuggled up with my puppy, enjoying a slow start to my morning, my Beloved One wrapped me in His love and reminded me of what makes our love story beautiful and unique – simple devotion.
I want to encourage you to think about this – What would your relationship with Jesus look like if you followed your heart and enjoyed Him and His presence without other people’s rules and expectations?
A special invitation: If you are a woman, with a heart to connect with other ladies in a safe space designed to provide strength and vision for moving through some of the “sticking points” of life, I want to encourage you to check out www.gracespaces.org. Grace Spaces is the beautiful vision of my friend Allison Bown and I am participating in this first round of group coaching. We’ve only met 3 times and yet so much in my relationship with the Lord is coming alive in a new and fresh way. It is refreshing to connect and talk through these things, hearing the collective wisdom of others who see from their own unique perspective while also being welcome and encouraged to bring my own perspective to the table. Take a moment and check it out, and if what you see resounds in your heart, register to join the Spring groups. You will not be disappointed!
