Lessons from a baby? Part 1

{ April 25, 2007 @ 10:06 pm } · { Uncategorized }

*sighs* How lame does it seem that I get a ‘kick in the pants’ from watching my baby sister? Seriously…. it astounds me sometimes how God shows you things in ‘everyday life’ situations.

Keep reading…… (click on the ‘more’ button below)

(I was going to blog about Nashville and the conference -I had this WHOLE post ready to go- but then I realized… it would bore you all to death! It would only make sense to myself, Ryan, and maybe some of the other kids who were apart of it. -if they even read this- So… Instead, I decided to blog about something we can all relate to. )

I love to watch my baby sister. She is almost 18 months old, and the most head-strong baby you have ever met. (Hmmm. I wonder where she gets THAT from? Those of you who have spent any time with me IRL probably know that I am rather head-strong when I feel it’s worth it. -And it usually isn’t. ) She is also one of the cutest little baby boogers there ever were, with her curly reddish-blonde hair, and her cute little ‘baby walk’.
Watching her makes me feel old, reminds me of the way I was all the years ago when I was a child It’s even brought back memories that I didn’t think I had!
But more than that, she reminds me of the way I am NOW. Why you ask? Ah, good question. Lets get into that.

Squishy (my baby sister) loves to do things by herself. She loves to walk by herself -without holding anyone’s hand. She loves to say things for herslelf -most of which you cannot understand what she is asking for. She loves to play by herself -how can she do that with 6 other siblings, I have no clue. She loves to eat by herself -ugh, what a mess that makes. She loves to put her clothes on by herself -”No, your pants go on your legs, not your head”. She loves to do YOUR chores by herself -Oi! Dishes go in the pantry, not in your toy bin!
She is just VERY indipendant. (Like most babies are) If she doesn’t want to be picked up, she’ll tell you!

HOWEVER! If you cut up an apple, or open a box of Graham Crackers, or if you bring out the box of Cheerios she suddenly decides that she wants you and your attention.

What does this have to do with a lesson? you ask. Ahhh, another good question! You’re very incitive.

The other day while watching her go through her ‘Ooooo, Crackers, I now want you to hold me. Aren’t I cute?’ routine. I realized how much I almost felt used by her, granted she is a baby, but if she were older I would be truly offended. Then I though… “How often do I do that to someone else?” or worse yet… “How often do I do that to God?”
You see, we as Christians usually consider God as our ‘last resort’. When we are wanting something, or are in trouble THAT’S when we turn to Him. We are so concentrated on doing our own thing and being indipendant, that we don’t take the time to actually spend time with God. To create a one-on-one relationship with Him. To truly stop and tell Him that we love him and want to serve Him.

*sighs* Do you remember in Matthew 7:20-23 where Jesus talks about people saying to him “Did we not cast out demons in Your name?! Did we not prophesy in Your name?! Did we not even do miricles in Your name?!” where upon He will turn to them and say “I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.”

People, He is not talking about those of you who have just asked Him into your heart, and do good things, and never swear, and never drink, and go to church every Sunday and even on some Holidays. He is talking about actually KNOWING you!!!! Spending time with you! Listening to you talk to Him, and not just when something bad has happened, but ALL the time! And being your best friend! HE is the one you should come to first when you are excited about something, not some friend who you can call up on your free nights and weekends. And HE is the one who you should come to first when something horrible has happened, and not to complain at Him, but to truly pour your heart out to Him, to confide in Him, to be your best friend!
THAT is knowing Him. Coming to Him first, talking to Him, listening to Him, loveing Him, and learning from Him. That is how we knowing Him.
Reading about Him is good! But it’s not all, you need to talk to Him and listen to His heart as well.

So to conclude, I am challanging you all to take 20 minutes today (yes, 20 minutes!) to set aside to talk to and listen to God. No phones, they need to be turned off. No iPod or music in the background. No TV in the other room. No laptop to check email every now and then, or even the occassional game of Solitaire. Just you and Him.
If you need to go on a walk so that you are in the park by yourself. Lock yourself up in the bathroom if you have to, I don’t care! Just do it!

And I don’t mean 20 minutes of asking Him for things, or complaining to Him that the toilet is not working and that He should do something about it. I mean 20 minutes of you talking and listening to Him like you would your best friend on the phone.

I assure you, it’s worth your time. -Especially since HE is the one who is in charge of that time, He gave it to you and could take it away just as easily. Try this for at LEAST a week. And if you can, take more than 20, try for 30, 40, 50, or even an hour. I assure you, the more time you spend with Father and the closer you get to Him, the easier the ‘hard things in life’ will get. Seriously, knowing Him makes your life SO much easier. And there is no point where you ‘know Him well enough already’, so don’t even try to delude yourself with that thought, that’s a lie from the pit of Hell.

So….
Talk, listen, and become close. That is to know Him.