This mornings sunrise was beautiful. It reminded me of our gift from Father. He creates such beauty and artistic expression in the Morning Sunrise and the Evening Sunset. How can anyone question the existence of our Creator when viewed from these events? Not even Thomas Kinkade himself could match the morning sunrise and evening sunsets for their expressions of light...and yet we call him the Master of Light Art. Yet he attempted to mimic that which our Lord and Creator alone could paint and imagine.
     We as humans are incapable of perfection and so will never be able to truly immitate the perfection that we glimpse each day in our daily walk. We see grass and trees and flowers and other glimpses of God's creativity. Yet we do not truly see them because we are so very busy that we do not slow down long enough to truly look, or to smell, or feel, or touch nor allow any of our senses to just bask in the beauty that surrounds us in our lives. We get so busy with 'living' that we never see God's hand in our world. We are so busy that we wonder where He is and why He does not spend time with us as His children. Yet, He is here all the time and is as close as a simple quiet time. When was the last time that you just STOPPED. I mean really stopped all the noise that we put into our lives and got quiet. Sitting still and listening for Him. Seeking a moment of peace, no music, no phones, no computers, no external influences at all...just you sitting still listening? I forget to carve those times out of each day and then wonder why I feel so lonely. Why my Father has not been near me for so long?
     Honestly, it is not God who is moving away from me and leaving me alone. It is me allowing my busy life to intrude into my time with Father.  He craves and yearns for a closer relationship with each of us. One that is as rich and open as that He shared with David and Abraham. I was reading today the daily bible verse and it was from Psalms42 where David talks of his desire for God, "as a deer longs for streams of water so I long for you, O God." Yet upon reflection it felt empty. Why? Because I do not long for my Father as David did...I have too much other responsibility and distractors keeping me from what is truly important. How sad that I have allowed my other daily labors to distract me so much that I lost touch with that which should be number 1 in my heart! For just a moment, sit quietly now and think about that verse, feel it inside and own it in your heart.
     That is my prayer for each of us today...that we would read it again and then meditate upon it's meaning. Each one of us to be able to FEEL as a deer who is thirsting after a cooling drink of  fresh water following a mad dash from hunters or a predator. That deep longing and need for a quick refreshing drink.
     Jesus promised us that he would give us the living water and all we had to do was ask for it. "Father bless your child this day with the Living Water that grants life. Open the flood geates and pour out Your Spirit upon this child and all who are your children that we will FEEL your Holy Presence in us." In Jesus Name, Amen.