Tuesday, April 8, 2014

location, location, location...



Ask any real estate agent to list the three most important things to consider when buying a home, and you’ll likely hear: “location, location, location.” That phrase has been in use at least since 1926, according to The New York Times.

However, I had a different experience with the phrase, “location, location, location.” The year was 1996. My husband, Jack, our daughter, Tracy, and I had just participated in a low-impact family ropes course. It included a series of challenges that we had to solve together as a team.
There were several times that I personally didn’t see how we would solve the problem. But we worked together and we tried out different ideas until we completed the task. One of us always had an idea that worked. We learned we could relax and trust that we could figure it out together.

As the challenges came to a close, the facilitator had us gather in a circle, and asked if we wanted the final debriefing questions to be spiritual. We said, “Yes!” That’s when he asked the location, location, location question...

On a scale of one to five, with five being as close to God as you could be, where are you?
I don’t remember what anyone else in my family said, but I will never forget what I said, “I’m a one.” It was an epiphany for me, which Webster’s defines as, “a sudden realization, a sudden intuitive leap of understanding, especially through an ordinary but striking occurrence.”

I had accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior as a ten-year old child during a revival. My fingers formed a heart as I sat on the front pew after filling out the decision card. I had been enrolled in our church’s cradle roll nursery at four months of age after my parents adopted me from the Salvation Army hospital in Jacksonville, Florida. I grew in my knowledge of Jesus through Sunday School and missions organizations, memorizing many of His wonderful words of life. And yet, here I was, a busy wife and working mother feeling like a “one.” How did I get here? Jesus had not moved, but I felt far away from Him. Later that week, I heard this heart-felt song by Larnelle Harris, “I Miss My Time with You,” as the lyrics say,
I miss My time with you, those moments together, I need to be with you each day and it hurts Me when you say you're too busy 

I knew in my heart that prayer, time in God’s Word, and worship with my fellow believers were the choices I needed to make to move from a “one” to a “five.” I began to pray this prayer as part of my quiet time each day...
Lord Jesus, give me a heart which yearns for Your Presence, a yearning for You that draws me over and over into Your Presence, a yearning that makes only a few days without time in prayer and Your Word seem like an eternity. Give me a heart which is motivated first and foremost by a desire for You, not for what You can do for me, but a yearning for Your Presence. Give me a heart that wants You more than anything else You could give, to love You and know You more than anything in life. Give me a heart that takes what You have made known to me and makes You re-known to everyone else, a heart that makes Your name and renown the desire of my heart. Give me a heart to feel Your Holy Spirit woo me once again to the place where I meet You. In the simplicity of my prayer time, give me a heart to be suddenly confronted by the majesty of my Redeemer—the One Who is responsible for any good in me. I bow at Your Cross, and I experience anew Your forgiveness, redemption, mercy, and grace, as I sense Your blood dripping over the Crown of Thorns pressed into Your brow, onto my heart, covering my sin, I get up from my knees wearing Your Robe of righteousness as I face the day ahead, welcoming Your fresh mercies which fall like manna from Heaven, and once again move my heart. I surrender all. Morning after morning.  

For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.—Philippians 2:12-14

How about you? How would you answer the location, location, location question, “On a scale of one to five, with five being as close to God as you could be, where are you?”

Please feel free to leave your comments in the space below, I’d love to hear from you!


Linking up today with Holley Gerth’s Coffee for Your Heart as an encourager!

4 comments:

  1. Beth- like you, i have that deep YEARNING for a deeper and fuller experience of God. It has crossed my mind that when Moses asked to see God's GLORY, he could only look after God had gone passed. Amy more would have killed him.BUT= we live in the N.T. where we are told: New Living Translation
    So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord--who is the Spirit--makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image..
    How do you see this played out in your life?

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    1. Thank you, Mary! As I draw near to Jesus through prayer, praise, and His Word, I experience His Peace that passes all my understanding :)

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  2. Your heart's desire is beautiful. I pray the same and praise Him that his word says, "Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart."

    Yearning with you, sister.

    Looking to Jesus.

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    1. Amen, Rebekah. Thank you for sharing your heart's desire with me ... moving closer to Jesus every day :)

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