I’ve considered mankind lately. I’ve wondered how we have grown so distant from all connection with the past and the world that God gave us dominion over. I’ve wondered how we went from having strong family units, including extended family. I’ve considered the way we once had a clear relationship with our food and grew it and prepared it…to now…most people hardly even consider any part of food growth and many don’t cook at all.
It feels like most have become completely disconnected with the things God gave us dominion over when He first placed Adam and Eve in the garden. It’s as if we’ve abandoned purpose because technology and convenience has led us further and further away.
Now, it must be a deliberate choice if we desire to reconnect with daily life and family.
The thing I’ve found the greatest reward in since separating our family from what the world calls “normal”, is reconnecting with life. Learning more about educating my children, leading godly lives, gardening, homesteading, cooking from scratch…really, connecting with the life God has given me. If I feel the pull to be enticed back into the “normal” world system, I immediately imagine myself digging my fingers into the dirt and rooting my heart again. I see myself re-focusing on the most important tasks God has given me in this season…and suddenly peace falls over me again. Being connected has become a completely deliberate part of my lifestyle. And I have a high value for it because I was once so busy that I lived a completely disconnected life.
Does this resonate with you?
I have observed that when we are overly busy, we begin to completely disconnect from living, and simply begin to survive from day to day. We act like we are leading our families in fulfilled lives, but really, they’re just busy lives lacking true connection.
One reason I know this is true is because the comment I receive from my kids about their friends,most often, is that they love being at our house and around us because we pay attention. I cook for them. We talk to them and treat them like real people.
When I first realized this, I felt glad…but also sad. Why is it that many adults treat kids like they aren’t really people? It’s baffling to me. But I know it’s true…and that’s why, years ago I began to truly attempt to speak to kids in a meaningful way. A way that made them feel valued. God gave me a desire to help kids feel heard. To disciple them. To lead them toward intimacy with God. To treat them as valid. To tell them the truth. Their response has always been great respect and eagerness to learn.
If you want to know the truth, the only thing that’s hindered this is adult’s timetables and agendas.
I will never forget leading a worship time with high schoolers in PA…and revival started to break out. Kids were flocking to the altar. They were crying and confessing to one another. They were reconciling. It was beautiful. Then an elementary teacher interrupted and cut it off because we needed to attend a gift exchange with the elementary kids. I was so grieved. The greatest gift those teens could have given the elementary kids, in that moment, was the example of what they were currently doing. Showing what worship, repentance, and reconciliation looked like.
God’s greatest gift was being poured out and we simply didn’t have time for it. It saddens me, to this day.
When I get to heaven I hope to hear, “Well done good and faithful servant.”, not “Good job maintaining your schedule.”
This all circles me back to what we are striving for. We have the opportunity to take dominion over this earth. But it requires us to live in a different way from the world. The world has nothing real to offer. We have the one Real thing.
Many of us have been deceived into thinking that Christian ways are outdated and/or hateful, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. We offer the one Real thing.
We see evil people succeed daily, but we can rest assured that our reward is the only one that will last. It’s a far greater investment to pour our lives out for others, than to hoard up that which won’t last.
Evil people get rich for the moment, but the reward of the godly will last. Godly people find life; evil people find death. Proverbs 11:18-19
365 Days in the Presence 