SPIRITUALITY - SEARCHING FOR THE WHOLE-HEARTED LIFE

When my husband was a “pastor”, he held “chapel services” for pre-schoolers. Each week, the teachers would remind the children, “It’s time to go to chapel now.” Off they’d go to the appointed place to see and listen to the appointed person. Although we could have an interesting conversation about this; suffice it to say for now that it isn’t unusual for little ones to believe that the “pastor” is Jesus and many of these innocent hearts called Gary, “Chapel”!

We discovered that one of his pre-school friends lived in our neighborhood when he stopped to visit after spotting Gary mowing our yard. A few days later, while busy at the back of our house, I heard doors opening and closing in the front. Proceeding to investigate, I felt a slight resistance on the knob. With a bit more counter-resistance, I discovered a little face peeking back at me!

“May I help you?” I asked.
“Yes, he replied, is Chapel home?”
“No, he isn’t,” I responded.
“So, what are you doing here!” he interrogated.
Trying not to laugh, I said, “I live here. What are you doing here?”
“I’m looking for Chapel,” He insisted.
Apologizing that “Chapel” wasn’t home, I promised to inform him of this visit.

Can you imagine what this little fella endured in order to find “Chapel”? I assume that he snuck out of his house and walked alone a fair distance. Seemingly without fear, he marched into a home he had never been in before. He determinedly opened and closed the front door, two closet doors and finally a fourth door at which he encountered this woman who was in “Chapel’s” house!

Among many other things, the Holy Spirit used this precious event and Philip Yancey’s Reaching for the Invisible God to help me understand my heart at that time. It seemed that no matter how hard or what I tried in order to experience intimacy with Jesus; it was fruitless. In fact, sometimes He seemed even further away. There were instances when a glimmer of intimacy would “show-up” and then vanish as quickly as it came. Yes, there were even times when it seemed like God was “just playing games”. I became weary and frustrated; yet I had an indistinct knowing that His hand was in it.

Have you ever wondered,
“What does the Whole-Hearted Life look like?
How do you search for it and where is it found?”

“Chapel’s” little friend was relentless and fearless. Had he learned that, “He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” [Hebrews 11:6]? It sure seemed that nothing and no one was more important to him.

Are you enduring what seems to be a forty year wilderness experience without spiritual water to quench your thirst? Don’t quit seeking Jesus! These journeys strengthen faith, deepen awareness of how desperately He is needed and how unimportant all else is. Be relentless and fearless in searching for the Whole-Hearted Life. He never abandons His promises:

• “….For I know the plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
• Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
• You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, …” [Jeremiah 29:11-14]

“If you find God with great ease, perhaps it is not God that you’ve found.” – Thomas Merton.


Whole-Heartedly,
Bonnie


DISCLAIMER:
The author of this article does not endorse everything represented on/in suggested links, books, etc. Each of us is accountable to God weigh everything according to His Word.