Married to God: Steamin' on Mother's Day

Steamin' on Mother's Day from Kurt Maechner on Vimeo.
Teen Spirituality #5

So there was this special steam engine coming through town and I reeeeally wanted to see it.  Surprising, huh?! :)  Here's problem #1: it was on Mother's day.  Problem #2: it was coming through at 8am.  Problem #3: It was going to be cold that day!

My girl loves her sleep and usually we can sleep in a bit on Sunday morning.  Plus, we don't usually get our kids up until 8am.  So when Beth and I were talking about it I said, "How about I just go myself?  I'll be home before we have to leave for church."

This is when my awesome wife showed her true colors.  She immediately responded, "No way!  We're going with you!"  She knew it would take a bit of effort to pull off, but her attitude was that we should share together in the things we love.

This reminded me of a thing Paul wrote to his friends in Ephesus.  He wrote, "Find out what pleases the Lord."  This is not about rule-following.  My wife wasn't following some 'marriage rule book.'  She was just doing what love does.  She wanted to please me, not because I would be unhappy if she didn't.  I would have happily gone to see the train by myself so I didn't have to inconvenience everybody.  Instead, she brought blessing and love to me by sharing in the things I enjoy.

What does your Abba enjoy?  Did you know you could delight Him?  He delights in you as you, but you can also bless Him by sharing in the things He loves as well.  Ask the Spirit: what are some things that the Father would love for me to share with or do with Him?  Maybe it's stepping toward someone that has hurt you.  Maybe it's taking time to spend with Him.  Maybe it's helping someone out that you know could use it. Maybe it's signing up for that retreat or mission trip.  Maybe it's writing a letter or sending a text to someone that you've been thinking about.  Maybe it's making a change that you've been thinking about.

Let's not forget too that our Father loves to share in the things we love too.  Do you love baseball?  When you play, take a moment to recognize that He is there delighting in it with you.  Or when you go for a bike ride or hang with friends, invite Him to come with you.  He is always present, but sometimes we need to remind ourselves that He is there enjoying it and interacting with us.