Last month I finished reading The Shack. I know I’m really late to the game but I saw a preview for the movie and it reminded me that I’d always wanted to read the book.
I loved the book and ate it up in less than a week – so much goodness and revelation for how much God truly loves us, forgiveness, etc. If you haven’t read it, it’s a MUST READ.
There was so much I loved, and I’m sure many more posts will come out of what I got out of the book, but the first concept I want to tackle is the concept of “not a pyramid but the center of a mobile”. Before I go on, let me explain the concept with a snippet from the book, this is God talking to Mack –
If you put God at the top, what does that really mean and how much is enough? How much time do you give me before you can go on about the rest of your day, the part that interests you so much more?
I don’t want to be the first among a list of values; I want to be at the center of everything. When I live in you, then together we can live through everything that happens to you. Rather than a pyramid, I want to be the center of a mobile, where everything in your life – your friends, family, occupation, thoughts, activities – is connected to me…”
For most of my life I lived by the “pyramid” concept, the idea that spending time with God was just another thing to check off my “to do” list. But by living this way I realized, years ago, that I was limiting myself to such a small “relationship” with the Lord. If I view God as a task on my checklist, where’s the relationship in that?
What I’ve learned over the years is that God is so much bigger than what I had reduced Him to. I don’t want to complete the task of hanging out with Him and then move on with my day, I want to incorporate Him into every area of my life. I love the “mobile” concept, where everything is connected to God and it’s a great dance of living, but in my life I think of God as an umbrella.
Instead of God standing in the lineup of my daily tasks, I choose to put everything in my life under the umbrella of His covering.
I continually choose to involve Him in every area of my life – He covers, and is included in – my marriage, my relationship with my daughters, my friendships, my job, my brokenness, my healing, etc.
Every minute of every day is covered by His presence and throughout my day I engage with Him and talk to Him about everything. The moments I start stressing or lash out in anger are the moments I realize I’ve stepped out from under His covering, I’m exposed and trying to do it on my own (which, by the way, never works).
By inviting Him into every moment of my day I am learning that He is so much bigger, and so much greater, than I could have ever imagined. In the act of removing Him as a task on the checklist, to being the covering over my life, I have found true relationship with Him.
A relationship that isn’t defined by rules and things I have to do to make Him happy, but instead, a relationship defined by friendship.
A friend greater than any other because He knows the desires of my heart more than I do, and as I trust Him to cover my life, He leads me deeper and deeper into my dreams and my desires.
O God, how extravagant is your cherishing love!
All mankind can find a hiding place
under the shadow of your wings.
All may drink of the anointing from the abundance your house!
All may drink their fill from the delightful springs of Eden.
To know you is to experience a Flowing Fountain, drinking in your life,
springing up to satisfy. In the light of your holiness we receive the light of revelation.” Psalm 36:7-9 (tPt)
This is the kind of relationship the Lord wants to have with all His kids, you included!
See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1 (NLT)
I want to challenge you to see God in this new way; to take Him off your “to do” list and invite Him to spend the entire day with you. The more things you take from your list and place under the umbrella of His love, the more you will begin to notice His constant, loving presence. Allow yourself to be delighted in your Father’s presence because it’s who you were created to be.
I remember when I figured that out and stopped putting God on my “to do” list. My kids were in Jr. High and High School and I was busy taking them to their many activities and I, myself, was involved with the church, that needed my time. I also lead a bible study class with a friend for women. I was busy and wanted to make sure I had my time with the Lord on record.
What I discovered, was that if something happened during that time & I didn’t have time with God I just didn’t put him in anywhere else. That’s when I realized how I had everything so backward. First, I saw how God gave me all of his time. He was with me and had words of wisdom for me right that second if I would always have an open-ended conversation with him. Then I realized that I already did. I included him all the time. I talked to him and asked for his guidance with everything. Then he showed me I could ready his Word any time during the day, not only at 6:30 am. What an eye opener moment.
Now I could go on and tell you how I “lost” my way to that relationship with God and how he would bring me back, but then I would start writing a blog of my own. lol
It is so awesome to have God right in the middle of your life, He cares so much for us he is already there. It is us who him on a “to do” list. Thank you so much for your blog and listening to God. I sometimes feel his is having you write this just for me….lol