Closer

Watching my daughter play is wonderful.  Watching her do life, discover bugs, spill drinks, make mistakes, and have victories is such a joy.  Her best friend, other than her brother, is Ellie—a pink washcloth elephant that has been by her side through weeks in the hospital, car rides, sleepovers at Grandma's, trips to Disney ... everywhere.  Ellie is closer to her heart than anything.  It goes where she goes. It does what she does. It soaks up her tears and hears her laughter.  It gets to lay next to her when she dreams. 

This morning, as I’m watching her, I’m thinking about my relationship with God.  Now, I know that He is everywhere all the time.  This isn't about His nature ... it’s about mine and yours.  We have access to God to be with us all the time but we refuse.  Think about the fact that we could engage God Almighty at anytime anywhere; yet, we put Him on the shelf only to be accessed after a certain worship song is played, a traumatic event, or out of obligation.  If Ellie was kept in the toy box, I would know that its time of importance was over.  Do I, and do you, put God in the toy box to be brought out at our convenience?

I desire more from my walk with God.  I’m tired of dusting God off when I need Him.  I want to do life in tandem with God, like my daughter does life with Ellie.  Everywhere all the time.  When I play, when I eat, when I dream, when I cry.