“Walked all day with the living God.” -Emma Scrivener

There is a precious group of younger moms that come to our home once a month. I tried to set a perfectly constructed agenda, but that was not life giving for any of us. So now we gather, one brings a delicious treat, we laugh, share and pray. It is such a sweet time. There is time for each person to be heard and prayed for. Whatever the need, I already know Who the answer is and so do they. One of these sweet moms shared an article with all of us and it was fantastic. It was entitled, “You Didn’t Do Nothing Today”. And it addressed the life of an unseen servant.

One of the lines stopped my eyes and I could not move forward. The author was telling about her day and one of the things she listed was, “Walked all day with the living God.” What an incredible reminder! We have been told that He is always with us, but are we mindful of His presence? Do we ignore Him or do we engage? When we are having a hard day, week, month or year, we are more aware of our need it seems to me. However, when all is well, are we mindful of our invitation to walk with God? Furthermore, what does that actually look like?

For me and my daily relationship with the living God, it took some hard things and some amazing people who live out this walking adventure. All the basic knowledge I had was enough to give you the right answer and yes, I was “saved” at the age of 11, but I knew there had to be more. The whole be good enough/earn your worth trap got me hung up for awhile, but thankfully that is no longer. Trying to be ok in others eyes can put you in a constant state of work, but you never get a day off. How tiring that becomes. When you long for rest, security, unconditional love, peace and lasting joy you become very aware of people who seemed to have found all of this. Their smiles are bright, their eyes meet yours and they have a confidence that cannot be shaken. Even when life is hard they remain true to who you have always known them to be.

Currently I am watching a family that have spent their life telling people about this living God. Now, the husband has lost his wife of 49 years and a daughter just had a major surgery. Their response to loss is unbelievable. While the pain and grief is not downplayed at all, their dependence and trust is on display. I am amazed and pray for them often. This man encourages others and is so thankful for the care their family has received. It is beautiful to watch and I can’t get the words out of my head I heard spoken. “I believe what I preach.” So simple and tells me that the preaching is the easy part. It is the daily living, the daily walking in these times, especially these times, that show true belief.

I remember being so wrapped up in my own grief and feeling so alone most days when my mom died. I did not even muster up the courage to write thank you notes to the thoughtful ones who sent flowers for her funeral. So, if you sent a card while she was sick, a note to my family or flowers, thank you. Thank you for giving gifts of comfort. I know I am almost 9 years late, but thank you. It was noticed and appreciated, just overshadowed. Amazing how time gives you a sense of gratitude for even small gestures of people giving of themselves. I was starved for it at the time and did not even know it. This families loss brought some of this back to the surface and for that I am thankful.

While that was many years ago, I have to say that one of the gifts that came out of that time was my acknowledgment of needing more. God became even more important to me and I wanted more of Him. That desire continues to increase and I cannot get enough of who He is. This daily walk begins early and the words He has written astonish me. The way He answers questions I have or gives direction to my struggles is mind-blowing. Only the living God could do what He does. I love talking to Him and listening. I love sharing Him with others. I love giving words of encouragement and hope. I love telling our kids how He loves them and wants them to know Him. There is nothing like a life with the living God who wants me walking beside Him towards home. I wonder do you know Him?