Living in the river

Hello, Dear One.

I probably just lived through the 4 busiest months of my life. You know those crazy races where people bike, run, swim, jump over fire, crawl through the mud, and try to finish the race? That’s kind of how the first semester of grad school was for me. I barely got out alive. (haha, but really.)  

Last week was finals week and as I drove over the Altamaha River, I was so struck by its beauty and in awe of how God created it. I had been driving over the river and looking at it every morning for months but that particular morning I had the strongest urge to just jump into the water. I made a mental note to go swimming in the river as soon as finals were over and I wasn’t so busy. I would really enjoy that beautiful water whenever I had time.

Isn’t it interesting that Jesus talked about the living water in the Bible? He talked about a life giving relationship with the Holy Spirit and an immersion in Him that would satisfy the deepest desires of our souls.

What if we miss the river because we don’t have time? What if we always wait until later?

This is the question that I can’t stop asking myself. What if later becomes never? It’s so easy to say that I will spend time in God’s presence whenever I’m finished washing the dishes and folding the clothes and doing homework and answering emails. But then wouldn’t I be missing the whole point of being immersed in Him?

There is a place we can live in, a spiritual place, where all of those things are sacred. The emails. The homework. The laundry. All sacred. There is a place where everything we do is done as unto the Lord and in the middle of the mess, our focus is on the eternal. This is the place where are hearts are immersed in Him.

Sometimes we get caught up in the hustle and we forget to keep our focus on Him. Sometimes we’ve known Him for years and the sparkle wears off and the responsibilities pile up and it’s easy to wait until later instead of being intentional with the here and now. For me, driving over the river last week was a sweet reminder from the Holy Spirit to stay in the river of the living water. There is no guilt there. There is no shame there. There is no “not good enough” or “having to measure up” there. There is only love. Only love and abundant life.

I want to live my whole life from the place of immersion in the living water. I want to swim in the river of God’s presence. I want to do it right now, in the middle of diapers that need to be changed and tantrums. In the middle of school and work and ministry. In the middle of this wild and messy life. I want to be focused on the Kingdom and on the King. I want to stop saying “I’ll do this later” and start saying “Jesus, you are my number one. Right here. Right now. You are my priority.” I want to stay in the river.

Are you in the river, dear one? Or are you just driving by and thinking you’ll take a dip whenever you have it all figured out? There’s no such thing as “feeling ready.” You just have to jump in. I’m going in head first. Won’t you join me?

With messy hair and wild grace,

Ellyn