Daily Archives: September 3, 2010
Read with Me: Getting back to the root of it
We returned from vacation almost a week ago. Unfortunately, I think I left my brain and whatever spawns motivation there. I miss the serenity of walking on sun-kissed sands, the rhythmic sound of ocean waves crashing over each other, the knowledge that I have nothing to do each day but revel in family and a good book.
The beach house we stayed in had its own little boardwalk out to the beach. A lovely little gazebo perched above the dunes introducing the stairs that descended to the oceanfront. In the mornings we could sit there and watch the sunrise, the sound of bagpipes floating peacefully on the breeze. (I don’t know which of our vacation neighbors had the bagpipes, but his wife obviously sent him out of the house at 6am every morning. A heartfelt “thank you” to her!) Brilliant pinks and oranges would glisten off the water with overwhelming intensity. I couldn’t help but think it only a glimpse of heaven. Only a shadow of the Light that is our God.
My favorite favorite part of our trip was a morning like this. The four of us gathered there. My husband read from the Psalms. We prayed and praised God. Hand in hand we turned toward the water, one ear-bud for each, we listened to one of our favorite worship songs as the morning sun washed over us.
This Read with Me Challenge has focused much on meeting goals. When I become overwhelmed I tend to keep my head down and push on through my tasks, often forgetting the reason I do any of it. I just want to get it done so I can move on to the next thing or even just a moment of rest after it’s completed. Please forgive me if I have fostered this attitude toward our challenge.
We didn’t start it because we wanted to get something done. We didn’t set the goals to earn gold stars on our sanctification charts. We didn’t start that way, and I don’t want us to end that way.
Why we read the Bible is the main motivator of this challenge. Why we read it together is the second.
Two weeks ago Kellie hosted our check-in with a great post about why we read the Bible. If you missed it, be sure to click over and read it. As we finish these last few months, I want us to be fully aware of the power within our grasp. This isn’t an ordinary book and this challenge is not homework. We have so much more at our fingertips than the ability to cross off boxes.
And why are we reading it together? For those moments in the sunrise. Our worship is magnified when we do it together. Sure, accountability is important, but corporate worship, corporate study, this challenge is greater than accountability.
“For where two or three have gathered together in My name,
I am there in their midst.”
– Matthew 18:20 (NASB)
Girls, we’ve got way more than two or three of us here! I don’t want us to get to the end of this and realize we’ve completely missed the presence of God, the awesome brilliance He wants to show us together, just because we’ve got our heads down pushing through.
We can still share where we are in reaching our goal (I am still WAY behind!), but I would love to spend the rest of this challenge getting back to the root of our purpose: to know God better together.
So, jump in the comments and feel free to tell me how you’re doing. What I really want to know, though is what are you learning. How have you encountered God through your reading? What are you learning about Him and about what He has for us?
