Just Be | Finding God's Love in Stillness

It's back to normal life ... where I use minutes and hours to do things. I am highly efficient with my time and move from one thing to the next working on various projects and interests. Crossing things off of my to-do list is satisfying. If I do something that isn't on my list, I put it on the list just to cross it off. I get stuff done.

So, being in Oz was a different and wonderful experience for many reasons, but one of the most appreciated was that I stopped doing things -- everything. All my responsibilities were left behind, completely on hold. No checklist. Nothing on my mind.

I was free.

Sometime last year, I was praying to God and saying, "God, I know you love me. I know this. You died for me. You are present in my life and you are leading me to you. You are love, and I know that you love me through my friends and family. But I don't feel your love."

In Sydney, living in total freedom, all I felt was His love.

I don't think I had to go all the way to Sydney to experience that, but I think it helped. In Pittsburgh, in my daily life, I keep a full schedule of responsibilities that I enjoy and find fulfilling, and as a single person, I try to be the best sister and daughter I can to my family, and the best friend I can be to my friends. I'm in a great place where I'm in "the zone" in my life. The activities and relationships in my life are where I encounter God and try to live for Him. It is a joyful growing in relationship with God through the things He has called me to do.

Because of this, I was creating a lifestyle where I was most frequently experiencing God in my tasks and relationships with others. Whereas on vacation, I had nothing to do and no one to serve, so I could not express my love for the Lord and receive Him in my usual ways.

In Oz my heart desired God, and the only things I could do were pray and share every moment of the day with Him. I could not do anything. I could only be. And it was in just being (walking around, thinking, daydreaming, praying, sitting, exploring) that I felt his love poured upon me unceasingly. Just for being me. He made me. He loves me. He knows me. He made all of us. He loves all of us. He calls all of us to Him.

He loves me. His sacrifice on the Cross tells me that my soul is worth that much to Him, and that He wants me to be with Him forever, that is Truth, but also, He just loves me. :)

I hope and pray that you know of God's love for you. Take some time to just be with the Lord, and let Him love you.

[We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. 1 Jn 4:16]