No Other Place

I recently finished the Beth Moore study Daniel. It was awesome and I'd recommend it to any of you ladies out there looking for a new study to tackle. (And I've got the audio cds if you want to borrow them). As I approached the finish, I started thinking about what I'd do next. Finally I landed on ordering the study A Woman's Heart: God's Dwelling Place, even though I'd done it four years ago. It's apparently been newly revised for "the next generation" or something like that. I looked back at my old book and realized by the dates on each day's lesson that I actually started it exactly four years ago in July 2003. That got me thinking about how much things have changed since then! Grace was a month old and I was a very lonely, sleep-deprived, clueless new mom in a new place with no friends within a hundred miles. (Not to exclude my best friend, Jim, who handled my season of loneliness and all my emotions like a pro during those first few months after we moved, all while learning a new career and figuring out the dad-thing.) Anyway, OH how times have changed! We've since moved again and are very settled in a completely new place, and are anxiously awaiting the sixth member of our family's arrival. I could digress some more as I think back, but that's not what this post was supposed to be about.

I was so excited to start this study again. I've always looked back on it as one of the most special times I've spent concentrating on a specific topic in the Bible: the Tabernacle. The whole study centers on God's constant pursuit of intimate fellowship with us, from the Garden through Eternity. What an incredible thing that the God of the Universe created us for oneness with Him, and when that was broken He's done such incredible things to remain as close to us as He possibly can be, through dwelling with His people in the tabernacle, the temple, even dwelling within us through the Holy Spirit, through Christ- all leading up to the eternity we'll spend with Him completely one, no more separation at all. That's what He created us for and what He longs for. What an incredible thing that we can know that no matter what we've done or where we are, we have a God that constantly seeks resolution and reconciliation, that if our relationship is broken with Him He wants it restored immediately, because He just longs to be with us, with nothing in between.

As I started the introductory session last weekend, my thoughts were turned toward all of that, and in the light of the day I'd had! Our girls had a DAY, let me tell you! Whew! These "days" only come around every once in a while, but when they do, I'm renewed with gratitude for their rare appearances. I would be a liar if I said I didn't breathe a BIG sigh of relief when the lights were out and their door was shut for the night! They were just unable to focus and get a handle on their big toddler/preschooler emotions, they fought almost constantly and had a really, really hard time obeying. I was surprised at the extra measure of patience I had that day (praise the Lord!). But I was totally ready for the day to come to a peaceful close. Jim was away that night so I finished putting the girls to bed and sat down at the table ready to start my new study. I was definitely desperate for God to make some sense out of the insane day I'd had. As I listened to the first session I was reminded of all the things I described above, and thought with gratitude again that I have that treasure deep within my heart that no matter what, my God's constant devotion and faithfulness to me is never interrupted. No matter how I act or what I do, I never need to doubt it. As I thought about that, God reminded me of how much that truth spurs me on to keep our relationship right and to always come back to Him because I know He's waiting. He reminded me again of how valuable it would be to our children to never, ever need to doubt our love as parents, no matter what they do. That even on their worst day, when we have so much to resolve, that they'd never fear that we loved them any less, or that there was any place else we'd rather be besides right there, living life right there with them. It would be so valuable to them to know that no matter what they gave us, we would only act in love in return. (I have limitless room for improvement on that one!)

I can remember Jim and I praying from even before we were married that the love we would have for our children would always be a reflection of His love for them, and because of that, it would seem the most natural thing in the world to turn their whole lives over to Him. After the day we'd had I felt a renewed commitment to assure our children, and Jim, of my love and have tried to take steps to be even more intentional in making it obvious to them that my love doesn't lessen, no matter what, and there's no other place I'd rather be than right there figuring out life together with them, on our best and worst days.