No, You don't say, all He wants is Me?

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. 

Psalm 62: 1&2 NIV

• My refuge in times of confusion.
• My fortress when I need a shoulder to cry on.
• My rest when I'm tired from the worries of the world.

This week I've been trying to think about a good blog. One that was either going to talk about Gluten-free cooking or my Homeschooling day.  But, after much thought, the Lord had something better to share with you.  Something that took a revelation to reveal.  And today, after receiving my prayer shawl from my mother-in law.  I've wanted one for years.  I sat in my room, closed the door and prayed.

I'm learning to set aside time each day to  pray. 

When I became a christian there were days when all I would do was pray.  I would go into a quiet room, close the door and pray. Sometimes for hours.  My mother who just recently became a believer called me the other day saying, "Jen, I just started praying and praying and I couldn't stop, I think I prayed for an hour or more."  Remember, God's time is different.  There are times when I have prayed very much and it seemed like hours, but was truly minutes.  Our soul longs to be connected with the Lord.  

So, back to my revelation.  Do you remember how I set out to run 15 or 18 miles for my Birthday?  I wanted to run 20 miles actually but opted for 15 because you know, it's Texas and I would have ended up with a heat stroke.  Yikes!!! So, I decided to do 15 on the day of my birthday. Those plans quickly changed when I woke up at 9 or 10am (I don't remember) and it was probably already 100 degrees outside.  I decided to enjoy my day.  The next day I set out to run.  It was hard at first.  I got up super early. Packed a cooler with a recovery drink, electrolyte water and a banana.  My fuel belt was packed with electrolyte water and gel.  My mind was set. My heart wasn't.  

You see, My Heart was set on the desires of man.  To accomplish. To be better.  To feel better that I turned 33.  Yes, I did have good intentions.  I always pray during my runs. I prayed for my family and friends. But, my intention was to run and accomplish my goal of 15 miles.  14.86 miles completed and I felt like I always do after running, "Okay."  Before my run the Lord spoke to me, he said, "Now Jennifer, you don't have to run 15 miles to show your love for me."  After my run, he said, "Jennifer, I don't require sacrifice."  "I don't require that of you."  Okay, I thought, I didn't have to run but I wanted to.  

So what would happen if God judged me according to how many miles I ran?  What if all I could run that day was 3 miles? Would he be happy?  Would he require that I run 15 miles everyday to be his follower?  What about my Daily Mile?  It keeps track of how many runs I accomplish but does God care?  

The simple answer is Yes, No and No.  You see God doesn't care if I run 2, 3 or 10 miles.  He doesn't care about all the bad things I did or continue to do. In fact, our sins are erased when we come to a full knowledge of our mistakes, confess and ask God for forgiveness.  It requires asking.  Just that. So simple.  

• God wants me, the way I am.  The way I look. Flaws and all.  He just wants me.
• God doesn't require sacrifice. Again, Jesus died for us. He did not spare him but gave him over to death.  
• God wants me, just me.  Did I say that again?  Yes, Just Me.  

I think sometimes it's hard to comprehend that God just wants us. He doesn't care where we live, what we live in, what kind of car we drive, the food we eat or how many miles  we can run.  All he wants is us.  How could a God so great just want us?  My friend, its so simple .  My revelation was that God just wants me, "Jennifer", faults and all.  

If God wanted me to run 15 miles everyday, I'm telling you, I would have given up on his standards a long time ago.  I don't think I would still be a follower because I do slack some days, as you all know, running is hard. Okay, I said it. It's hard.  And God doesn't require that of me, or anyone.  He just want's me to come to him and seek rest.  Because, 

God is GREAT!

God is LOVE!

Give him a try, he doesn't bite and He loves to give you words of encouragement everyday.  

(BTW:  I do hold dearly to Philippians 4:13. I run not to compete with the world with races and such.  I run to keep my faith strong in the Lord.  I run to think. I run to hurt. I run to heal.  Just as running is hard and demanding on the body, so is this world and I find peace in knowing that my suffering is producing in me my true faith where I can stand in the day of trails and tribulations.  My journey with running started due to my husbands illness many years ago. Running is where I truly found peace away from the world. (I have a blog listed here, I think it's the first one I've written). 

So, in essence, running is peace for me. But, I do need to slow down and that is where God shows me that all he needs is Me. Just me to come to him and quietly shut the door to pray.
I pray you do the same. )

Until next time, 

Eat Organic!

Eat Gluten-Free!

Jennifer