He's alive....Have you seen Him?

I've known another blog was coming today and I've tried to be sensitive and let Him do what He does best. We are in the middle of our Easter play at church and over the past month of practices, I've had the amazing opportunity to watch this story unfold multiple times. It never gets old, it never bores me, and every year there are certain parts that bring tears each and every performance. It seems like each year He finds a spot in it to write something new on my heart. This year it's a line that happens right before the finale. Mary is excited about just seeing Jesus alive and asked someone have you seen Him?  God's been writing on that line all day...

So many people go through every day life acting like He's not alive, but oh sweet reader He is. While writing this one, He started on a Religion vs. Relationship post that I'm sure He'll finish up later. The sweetest part of that one though, was Relationship says I'm His Princess. A relationship with Him doesn't mean perfection. Goodness knows I mess up more times than I can count each day on this Faith walk with Him. It's not about getting it right, it's about moving forward. It's about growing and letting Him change/mold you into who He made you to be. It's about knowing that at the end of the day when you feel you have made a mess out of things, you can crawl up in His lap and know that He still loves you(most of the time more than you love yourself!). He gets you, understands you, and thinks you are pretty special. He literally thinks you are to die for! So many times we put pressure on ourselves to think that Christians have to have it altogether, but the world needs to see the Children of God being real. The world needs to see God's grace and forgiveness through our lives. They need to know He's not like when company comes over. You know most people want to clean house and get everything perfect when company is due to arrive. When a friend who may as well be family comes over, your house is your home and they know that. You don't put on a front and clean everything up. God's not looking for you to have everything cleaned up, He's looking to help you do what needs to be done. So many times we think we have to try and change ourselves on our own....well praise God we don't....(Hello..how many times have you tried to have self control when eating sweets on your own?) We have the Holy Spirit and the fruits of the Spirit that are planted in us they day we accept His gift of salvation. The day we say yes with our hearts, the seeds are planted that will grow into those fruits as we grow to be more like Him. Just as a tree doesn't produce an apple the day after it's planted, that's how it is with us as well. When we spend time with Him, our roots deepen and that relationship grows. One day we look up and we can see the apples hanging from the tree. Be patient with the process and know that the Master planter has got this!

He's alive...have you seen Him? What can you look back on this week and see that God has done for you, whispered to you, spoken into you, answered for you? If you can't see evidence of His moving...then it's time to step back and look at your relationship. God never changes, so if you can't see Him moving....you may be too far ahead or running in too many directions. God desires a personal relationship with you. He doesn't want you to only hear Him through other people, He wants to whisper to your heart each day. He wants you to not only bring your requests to Him, but your fears and your tears. He wants to be the One that calms that anxiety inside of you by speaking peace daughter...I've got this. Oh how sweet the journey is when you see how He completes every part of who you are. He knows just where those things you call faults are(He calls them weaknesses and shinning moments for Him). Reading books by Christian authors and devotionals are good...but make sure you leave some time to listen to what He has to say to you as well.  He has a Word just for you!