A Love Encounter

Barefoot in my living room – surrounded by chaos.  I’m half dressed for big day at work and spotted a rouge kid booger on my new blazer.  My husband left for an early morning conference and I found myself alone with our teething toddler, James.  I’m surrounded by what looked like a mad scientists’ work-space full of toys and experiments.  Wooden block towers that had been knocked over with incredible gusto and play-doh with monster trucks “stuck” in its grip. 

I’m thinking about the day ahead and the mountains I’m about to climb at work.  Thinking about the people who will need my help and wondering how I can best fight the bureaucracy to get the job done. The even more daunting thought, though, is how I’m going to break it to my toddler, again, that we can’t wear our rain boots to school and that teachers REALLY appreciate it when he wears pants. 

 

Ya’ll - I just needed Jesus.  You know that feeling…

 

I shouted over Caillou (and the impressively accurate siren noises coming from my two year old), “Hey, Alexa! Play Kim Walker Smith Radio!” The music started and I met Jesus right where I was.  Right. Where. I. Was.

 

One shoe on - one shoe off and half of a head of curls.  James shouted at me to stop singing.  (A new favorite thing of his to do). I just sang anyway. And I worshipped. And I swayed.  James was displeased when he realized that I was no longer pretending to be a buyer of his ice cream.  But I fought for my focus - for just that moment – and just continued to sing and meditate on Him.  And something amazing happened.

 

James grabbed his favorite stuffed doggie and snugged him into his chest.  He stood at my feet with outstretched arms – he wanted to be held.  He laid his head on my shoulder and we sang and swayed to the music together.  I raised my arm in worship and in thanksgiving and he watched intently.  He stayed with me in that moment and we danced in circles around the train tracks and building blocks.  

 

When the song ended, he grabbed my face and planted a big wet sloppy toddler kiss (with a side of oatmeal) right on my lips.  You guys - he felt the presence of the Lord!  He quieted his heart at just the right moment and he knew mommy was having a love encounter with Him.  And he stayed with me in that moment and joined me with the sweet innocence only possessed by a child.

As he scurried back to his ice cream truck business, I took in his little face.  Cheeks round and eyes so blue.  The “ice cream” was now melting in his imaginary world, so we had to rush off to grab a crane to save us.  As we searched for the crane, under pillows and inside of tents, I couldn’t help but to, again, notice the chaos.  But, in that moment, in the middle of THAT mess – we had a beautiful moment.

Everything does not have to be perfect in our lives to encounter God. I’ll write that again for my own good.  Everything does not have to be perfect in our lives to encounter God. 

 

See – I’m working on something with myself.  And here’s the confession: I’ve discovered that I’m sometimes (okay, most of the time) a black or white personality.  It is or it isn’t’.  It’s right or it’s wrong.  I’m going to do something or I’m not going to do something. There is no in between with me.

 

This trait has been helpful in my career –dealing with what’s fact and what’s fiction.  Deciding that I’m all in.  But, in my personal life – it just does not apply as successfully and maybe that’s you, too… I’m going to eat healthy or I’m going to eat junk.  I’m going to go on vacation to relax for a week or I’m not going on vacation at all.  I’m going to remodel this house from top to bottom or not at all. I’m going to do a full on Kim K face contour or I’m not going to do my makeup at all. I’m going to do my devotions every morning at 6am or not at all.

So, today, I’d like to give us permission to just meet Jesus right where we are.  To say, you know what – “This house IS a mess but I’m going to worship among these train tracks and stinky boy socks anyway.”  “Yes, I missed my 6AM alarm, but 7AM is a fine time to do my devotional today.”  To say, “This is not a carved out perfectly quiet little time of devotion – but it’s my time.”  Permission to say, “My life feels like a mess, but Jesus still loves me and he wants to meet me anywhere – anytime.” Kim K contour or not.

 

If you are anything like me, I hope that you will join me in giving permission to ourselves by saying: "It does not have to be black or white.  It CAN be full of all of the colors in between - and we CAN meet Jesus right where we are.”  And what an encounter it will be! 

 

Everything does not have to be perfect in our lives to encounter God.  

*Post by our blogger, Heather Duma