I was raised knowing God. I’ve heard stories of the first time my mother brought me to church as an infant. Apparently, I had a head of hair that made quite the impression. And I was cute, or so I’m told. In this picture, I think I look like a cross-eyed tyrannosaurus rex. What is with my hands? My brother looks pretty cute though, and my mother is adorable in her sixties get up.
You’d think that growing up in Sunday School, going to kid’s/youth camp every year from eight to eighteen, and attending church most of my life would assure I would master this Christian walk. After almost 60 years, I should be near perfect now.
Except I’m not. My journey on this earth is just that, a journey. It’s a constant road to new heights, a constant quest to be what God wants me to be. He lets me rest for a moment in a victory over something (thank goodness), but soon pulls back the curtain on something else to master.
If that sounds discouraging, or you’re asking yourself who would even want to be on a journey like that, then keep reading.
We are all searching to belong, searching to be known, searching to be loved for who we are. We look to satisfy this search in the wrong places. We try to be someone we think is more loveable, at the expense of being authentic and real. All of this leaves us empty and still searching.
It’s a bit like the children’s book, “Are You My Mother?” by Dr. Suess. We search and search for that thing that will complete us, our home, asking endlessly, "Is this it?" Sometimes our searching can get us in trouble. This happens to the the little bird in the story. In the happy ending, he is returned home and finds his mother. Like the little bird, when we find our Maker, we find our home. It is there we are made whole in His love, and the search is over. Ephesians 1:5-6 (MSG) says this:
Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.
I recently read another translation of this passage that says, “his tremendous love cascades over us.” I immediately thought about days swimming beneath Rock Dam in my youth, standing under the waterfall of the dam and relaxing under the cascading water. This is how God loves me, with a never-ending cascade pouring over me.
What does this have to do with the journey? Everything. When you find this kind of love, your journey is no longer a “search and rescue.” You have been rescued by His love. You’ve found your Maker. He knows you, the real you, EVERYTHING about you, and He loves you with a cascading love. Now you walk as He leads. It’s a new search, a quest to know Him and who He designed you to be.
I can’t remember the exact moment I gave my life to Jesus. I was young when I made the decision to give Him my life and follow His lead. As He led, many times I’ve come up very short … wandered off … thought I had found a better path. I could be farther on my journey if I’d done better. But you know what?
He STILL accepts me as I am.
The blood Jesus shed on the cross STILL covers my sin. After decades of my life, it STILL washes me. After centuries … millenniums, it remains undiluted, never losing its power.
Ephesians 1 goes on to say in verse 7 (TPT):
Since we are now joined to Christ, we have been given the treasures of redemption by his blood—the total cancellation of our sins—all because of the cascading riches of his grace.
Did you see that? There’s that word AGAIN. Cascading love AND cascading grace. That's a waterfall I want to park myself under.
When we are joined to Christ, we have been given treasures - redemption and total cancellation of our sins by His blood! Wow. The searching becomes a treasure hunt of all that opens up to us because of the grace of God. What a journey!
End the search for meaning, love, and purpose. They are all found in Jesus, the true treasure.
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13 (KJV)
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