A Famous God

Before I say anything, I want you to know how much I want you to experience God. Our women’s Bible study at church is in the 6th week of the Experiencing God Bible study, and I do not exaggerate that it has changed my life. I am not a whole new person, but my view of experiencing God has flipped upside down in the best way. I can’t recommend it enough.

This morning I hit my snooze button probably four times. I’ve been using my kids as alarms for the past four and a half years, which has been fine. Grace in motherhood looks like that for me. I know that when I try to inflict my plans on my kids, it tends to backfire 95% of the time. So instead, and because I’m given the luxury of being at home with my boys 24/7, I allow them to dictate a lot of my schedule. It has been my season for it.

I’ve been trying to become more disciplined in my quiet time, so I set an alarm each day to wake up before little feet hit the floor running. I’m going out on a limb, but I have to say I don’t wake up with my alarm three out of five days. I’m claiming victory on those two days when I don’t hit the snooze so many times. And still victory on the days when the time of day simply doesn’t matter, as long as I get to spend time with God.

As I sat in the quiet of my house this morning, listening to the slow awakenings of my boys, I closed my eyes to pray for a brief moment. I’m trying to learn to listen more when I go into conversation with God, and even trying to keep my prayers to a real conversation, not just journaling. I want to allow God the room to speak and share with me what my day holds. Not just what my ideas are about it. I heard Him say, How are you going to make me famous today?

It’s difficult. I want you to know of me because of the writing I do about God, but that can easily morph into wanting you to know me because I am a great writer. The challenge the Father gave me was to shift all focus in all of today towards Him.

Today, here are my reasons for praising Him:

• This month I got to celebrate 26 years of being on this earth. He’s given me 26 years already, and it’s time that I don’t deserve, really. Also amazing: I’ve been in a relationship with Him for fourteen years. Sometimes I still feel like the little girl who was awakened to Him for the first time, in awe of how He wants me. I’m praying my awe for Him never ceases.
• My sons were all sick this month, for nearly two weeks each. But they weren’t in the hospital. They were fighting a virus that was not deadly, and I am so blessed. An overused phrase to say the least, but “blessed” feels like the only adequate word. A blessing is God’s favor and protection, and is that not what I have experienced in my children since the day they entered the world? The blessing of their lives in my life is unending.
• My husband has been working for himself for two and half years (nearly), and God has been faithful. I have my moments of doubt and frustration, but when I am weak in maturity, He upholds me. I struggle with wanting more in too many different ways, and in every one of those ways, God has satisfied us with more than we deserve. I’m reminded of a time when I considered what we get to do as fulfilling our dreams. But really, God is allowing us to fulfill His dreams for us. All of these amazing things that are brought to life are because He dreamt them up for us. How incredible is that? He does for us more than we could imagine. I am grateful He speaks to us through the Holy Spirit and that we listened.
• I am surrounded by people who love God and who love my family. People we serve with, do life with, laugh with, pray with. Our friends are proof of God’s desire for us to be in community with people who love Him. It changes everything. He has given us people that have challenged me and changed me in the best ways. This is something only He can do.
• Writing about God and for God doesn’t feel like a job. It feels like ministry and love and joy and satisfaction. Writing for Him is a dream that I thought was only a dream to have, not a dream to fulfill. But like I said, He dreams up these things for my life and gives them to me. He can make anything happen. He does a work in me that I don’t fully understand, but I get to allow Him to do a work unto completion. Praise God.

How can we make you famous today, Father? How can we bring you so much glory that when we leave a room, the whole place is only thinking of You? Show us. Let us be courageous enough to make a way for you at every opportunity.