God and me...

Do you ever just struggle with this whole God thing?

Do you ever wonder where He is?

Praise God, I have been in a real relationship with the Lord for over 10 years now.

Sometimes I think people hear statements like that and they assume it means I have everything all figured out and my days are spent singing hymns as I vacuum the floor. HA!

To tell you the truth; I've been fighting very hard lately to really feel God. For a few months now I've been praying the same old prayer, "Lord, I know you're there...please let me feel you."

Sure, I've seen little glimpses here and there, but for the most part I've felt like I'm in a funk (to borrow a nice phrase from my Dad).

So, here I am; me and my funk...and quite frankly I'm just sick of it.

I miss the mountain top...I miss the exhileration of having just felt alive in the presence of the Lord. I miss the intimate conversations when I've actually felt like God is sitting across the table from me.

Well, a few weeks ago my husband was talking to the students about this kind of feeling. He put a picture up on the screen of Michaelangelo's Sistine Chapel. The picture depicts Adam and God.

If you look at the picture, you can see God flexing each and every muscle in his body in attempts to reach Adam. He is clearly straining as he leans toward his precious son with all His might.

And then we see Adam...

There Adam lounges...his arm carelessly lifted up with absolutely no effort put in.

And then you notice one very important thing...

All Adam would have to do to reach God is flex his finger!

That's it!! One simple motion and Adam would be touching the very hand of God! The hand that gave him life....the hand that gives him hope!

Of course, it got me thinking..

I say how much I want to be close to God.

I say how I long to feel His presence.

But really; am I sitting there like Adam is?

Am I expecting God to meet me without putting any effort in of my own?

Am I ridiculously close to touching my heavenly Father but too lazy to simply stretch out my finger?

Hmm....

It's been on my mind a lot lately....