January is Summer Holiday time around here. It’s apt, having the time to have a break away from routine with family, and also being able to take some time to reflect and ponder the year ahead.
I’ve realised my relationship with God is a bit like a family at a picnic. The parents are watching the children play on the nearby playground while they sit and chat. Every so often, a child will call out, and the parent will smile and wave back. Or a child will run over to show some treasure they’ve found, or to ask for help with a toy, or for a reassuring cuddle after bumping their knee. Once reassured, the child will run back to play again.
I’m like the child, and God the parent. An occasional glance reassures me the He is still there in the vicinity, but most of the time He’s happy for me to carry on with what I’m doing without the need for direct contact.
At the same picnic, the preteen is getting bored with the younger children’s games, and comes to sit near the grown-ups, listening to their conversation. That’s somehow where I want to grow more towards.
To switch metaphors, it’s like I’ve been splashing in the shallows of my faith. I’ve had occasional glimpses of what it would be like to swim into the deeper water (cool and clear and refreshing), and would like more of that.
I don’t know what this kind of deepening would look like, or how it would come about. I know this much: it is NOT found by trying harder or doing more or being better. In fact, I suspect there is nothing I can do with my own effort or by my own merit.
Any insights from anyone who’s been there would be appreciated!
