More than…

A couple of weeks ago, I was driving on the highway, and had a lot on my mind.  I wished so badly that I could just meet with Jesus in the flesh, like He was in Bible times.  I needed to have a two-way conversation with Him in the worst way.  So, I decided to imagine that He was right there, in the front seat of my car, humming along to the songs on the radio, listening to me ramble on about all the things I was struggling with.  I spoke to Him conversationally, like I would a friend — and then, after a bit, I realized He was responding.

Usually when I pray and need to hear a Word from God, He speaks to me in verses; He reminds me of a scripture, or points me to a passage that pertains to my situation.  I think He does this because He knows I have a pretty vivid imagination and, if I’m not careful, I can write dialogue to suit my circumstances.  So He knows I need a Word that I can trust is from HIM.

But, on this day, I felt like we were having a real exchange.  Honestly, as amazing as it was, I started to worry I was making it all up, as I can be prone to do.  So — I asked Him if this was Him, or had I written a great script to make myself feel better?  I heard Him clearly say to my heart — “this conversation is MORE real than any that you have ever had with flesh and blood.”

I started thinking about this and wonder if we have misunderstood the depth and impact that praying has.  Maybe our conversations with the Lord are a bit like what Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians 13 when he says, “now we see only a reflection as in a mirror, then we will see face to face.”  Could it be that the times when we talk to God authentically, and stop and listen, or just sit with Him, are way more significant than we understand?  What if we took Jesus at His Word, and started to grasp that the things we can see, touch, hear, and smell here on earth are a mere shadow of the reality we can’t see with human vision?  I wonder what might happen, if we believed, and acted on the fact, that He is WITH us, Immanuel.

I have a bad habit of getting sidetracked in my prayers, especially around the holidays.  I can be in the midst of talking with God about something, and then realize moments later that I’ve mentally wandered off to make a list, or plan an outfit.  I told my daughter this recently, and she said she did the same thing.  But, then one day she decided to just quit switching back and forth in her mind between praying and what had distracted her.  She said instead, she invited Him into whatever she was thinking about — since He is there already. 

What if we took this approach during the holidays?  Christmas gets busy — we begin the Advent season with the great intention of keeping Christ as the focal point.  But, so often, as the New Year rolls around, we realize we left Jesus behind somewhere mid-month.  This year, rather than keeping our time with Christ separate from our activities and interactions, let’s invite Him INTO it all.  When we begin to move out of prayer and start daydreaming about recipes, look at it as an opportunity to include Him in your menu planning.  When we start to rehearse a conversation, ask how He would handle the encounter. Sing WITH Him in the car.  Imagine Him in the kitchen, chatting at the counter while you cook.  Take Him WITH you when you deliver gifts.

Let’s find a way this Christmas to experience Christ in a way that is MORE real than the conversations and interactions we have with neighbors, family, and friends.  Let’s look back at the end of this holiday season and realize that not only did we not leave Jesus behind, we know HIM on a whole new level, IMMANUEL — God WITH us!

We invite you to join us for a daily Advent devotional that we hope gets you started, and offers a few minutes, or longer, each day to spend with Jesus.  

Kathy Paukune