Morning breath, coffee breath, onion breath, garlic breath, etc.
As much as I love certain drinks and food, I hate bad breath. Not only on me but on others as well ( I won't name names of certain people I'm thinking of at this moment). How amazing and clean I feel after brushing my teeth is why I even use to eat toothpaste in high school. I've realized it's God's fresh breath every day that energizes and renews me. He is my daily fresh bread, living and active. It's that season when I have to remember to come up out of the water and take a breath. It's a fun season as weather is warmer and all I want to do is be outside hiking, swimming, rollarblading, having a bonfire, hanging out at the river, plus the business of work with multiple groups in camp and preparing for summer stuff. But I also couldn't fully enjoy those things without my morning times alone with God on my porch watching the sun rise and meditating on His word- God does not have morning breath. "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Matthew 6:33 If we give our entire lives to the pursuit of God, everything else of value will find us. Struggling with loneliness has been a common theme throughout my life but man when I get so head deep in God's word, loneliness disappears. I don't understand depression or how to help so many around me who are deep in it and how common it is in the world, I try to show them and tell myself to fix our eyes on Jesus and throw off everything that entangles (Hebrews 12:1-2). There's a reason why people find joy no matter what they're doing.
"The Chaldeans answered the king, and said, “There is not a man on earth who can tell the king’s matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean. It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.” Daniel 2:10-11
If they'd only known our God! Both in the Old Testament and the New, Jehovah was among men and his dwelling in us today with those who believe!
Jehoavh Shammah (Hebrew) means the Lord is present. That's what I want to be about, present. Present in relationships, present in the moment, present in work, present today. As most people know me, I have a hard time sitting still always wanting to do something active (my roommate told me just to go for a run so I'd be tired enough to just sit and talk with her last night). But also I get caught up in planning for the future in both work and life that I miss the present. As I've been focusing on this the past couple months, I've noticed how awesome it is to be present. So many friendships have started or grown deeper, being able to give my all in my Bible study and small groups, focus in the task or conversation, etc. But so thankful that God is not just what I'm waiting for for His Kingdom to come but that I get to hang out with Him now and build a relationship now with Him than just wait to start when His voice is heard again and He's reigning on earth.
Don't get me wrong, planning is still good and rewarding and needed. If it wasn't for planning I wouldn't have gone to the Creation Museum last month and meet up with my best friends from Wisconsin, I wouldn't have gone to serve at a YL camp in Canada (although it was kinda impromptu), I wouldn't have had the most amazing hike and overnight to the fire tower with some awesome girls. And then there's the things you can't plan for, like when my nephew Joey was born last month, or getting to Skype with my sister multiple times last week with some deep conversations, or talking about Christ with a road worker who stopped our car for 10 minutes as we did a Chinese fire drill. Being present in scripture has opened my soul and spirit to know God more and be known by Him.
As I'm about to turn 30 next month I never thought my life would be like what it's been and is, but praise the Lord He's got better plans than I can imagine. Weird to think that at age 30 is when Jesus started His public ministry. I'm pondering ideas for another area of ministry I want to begin when I turn 30 and commit at least 3 years. Not sure what that'll be but it'll be for Jesus.
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