What God Has Been Teaching Me Lately
Present Where I Am
I've worked hard this year at being fully present where I am. By this, I mean I strive to be fully engaged in each moment-not worrying about the future, pondering my past or texting someone miles away while ignoring the person right beside me! (Do I hear an "ouch?") It is important to be attentive to people, place and purpose right here, while we are right here.
But lately, I've been thinking God actually expects me to deal with a little distraction. I think He designed me to feel a little holy tension--have my mind wander to other places while I am right here in Missouri. In fact, the reason I think He expects me to be distracted and not fully "present where I am" is because He made my spirit to feel the weight of exile.
This earthly life includes a holy discontent, a longing for our true home, a lingering awareness that we will never feel fully settled here. As with the psalmist, we inwardly yearn, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest." (Psalm 55:6) We intuitively recognize that we just can't be fully present where we are---at least not while we're here on earth!
The Apostle Paul exposes why we feel this inner-longing...this ache for home. He reminds us of our true citizenship by observing that when "God raised us up with Christ," He also "seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:6) Father God has invited us to be present with Him in eternity, and He welcomes us in and gives us a seat. He does so at the same moment that He "raises us up with Christ" while we are right here on earth! While your feet are still here on earth, you are seated in heavenly places!
So if you feel this inner tension in your spirit, too, know you are not alone. While we are in pilgrimage here, there is biblical precedence for our distraction. Living on earth is our time and place to:
· Look for our heavenly country (Hebrews 11:16)
· Turn our faces toward Zion (Jeremiah 50:5)
· Keep our eyes on our promised dwelling (Hebrews 11:13)
· Remember we are not at home in this world (Hebrews 11:9)
· Gather our treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:19; Luke 12:33; Colossians 3:1-2)
As sojourners, we steward the journey, though we long for our pilgrimage to come to a close. Though I want to be fully "present where I am," I will always feel a drawing away. I want to walk wisely yet tread lightly on this sod. I want to walk with the awareness that this place isn't my true home, yet steward the opportunity to be here. I want to have my hands busy here on earth and my heart longing for heaven. Oh, that you and I could live in this world, feel its pain, cry its tears, meet its needs and breathe its air! And in doing so, be fully present here, living out our heavenly citizenship. Every moment here on earth should ignite within us a sojourner's longing. As C. S. Lewis said, "Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in."
Well, that's what's been percolating in me lately!
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