Greater Communion

Dear Lord.  I am before you.  I don’t expect anything from you, but I know that you love me and trust that you are hear with me, you hear me calling out to you, and that you will respond.

Michael, I hear you always.  The question is, are you hearing me?

I understand Lord.  Are you pleased with where I am in “my walk”?

Michael, that question makes no sense.

Ok… please help me understand why it doesn’t make sense and what the correct perspective is.  I’m here for your guidance and wisdom.

It doesn’t make sense because our relationship has nothing to do with effort.  “Your walk” insinuates that our relationship is somehow on your terms.  It’s as if your walk…

Michael, you’re blocking me out with your focus on the inconsequential.  You’re focusing on grammar of what you’re hearing from me, when you should be paying attention to what I’m telling you.  You know that I speak to you in a familiar style.  I speak to you the way that you speak with your most intimate relationships.  It’s not all “lovey dovey”, but it’s familiar.  Stop dwelling on the minutia.

Ok, Lord.  Please continue.

It’s as if your walk were something that should be in a certain state or condition, but may or may not be – as if it could be better or worse than some arbitrary position.  Or worse, as if there were an element of competition.

Michael, when referring to our relationship, refer to it as our relationship.  No more, no less.

Understood.  Lord, are you pleased with the state of our relationship?

Michael, our relationship is, and always be something I cherish.  Regardless of anything you do or don’t do, I love you – and you can trust in that.  Now, do I long for greater communion?  Of course.  Do I offer more power through your life based on greater communion?  Yes, I do.

How do we have greater communion?

That is the right question, Michael.  The obvious answer is by spending time together.  But you and I both know that is not enough.  Spending time with someone doesn’t build relationship.  For example, sitting on the couch next to your wife, watching TV together does not build relationship.  You may laugh together, or share comments about what you’re experiencing together, but that is a symptom of, or recipe for, a hollow relationship.

Now, with you and I, our relationship is similar in nature.  Many people will tell you to simply read the Bible to spend time with me.  There is some truth to that, but only because there’s always something new to learn about me.  And by learning more about me, you learn to fear and love me.  This is good.  But for those who already fear and love me, more is required in order to experience true communion with me.

I know you can’t be telling me to not read the Bible.

I’m not.  Reading the Bible – or really, knowing the spirit of the Bible – is foundational to accepting me as your Savior.  Without the Bible, you would be forced to trust based on blind faith, which is not what I ask for.  There are lots of things you could believe in on blind faith that will lead you to ruin.  I provide evidence, upon which faith can be built.

Once you have that foundation, our relationship can be built upon it.

How do we do that?

What you’re doing is an excellent approach.  Communion begins with communication.  First it starts with a person communicating to me.  Later, it becomes the person communicating with me.  As you know, a person gets far more out of conversation by listening than by talking.  You bless me by opening yourself to my guidance and wisdom, and by your obedience.

So what I want is for you to open yourself to me more frequently, and for you to obey more readily.

I understand Lord.  What does my obedience say about our relationship?

Michael, you have and are showing tremendous trust in your obedience.  This demonstrates the nature of our communion.  This is healthy and will foster growth in our relationship.  However, this growth could be escalated, even exponentially, based upon your choosing me over distraction.

I know I have been distracted.  It’s amazing how much distraction surrounds a day that’s supposed to be devoted to you.

It’s not “supposed to be” anything, Michael.  I never asked anyone to celebrate my birthday – that is a silly thing to celebrate.  Celebrate my resurrection, but not my birthday.  Celebrate your “rebirth” rather than your physical birth.

That sounds like a cool feature of the website.

Perhaps.  It wouldn’t hurt.

Michael, check in with me tomorrow.  We have a lot to talk about.

Ok, Lord.  Thank you.