Adore

write28days #adore #eyesonjesusandshine #writingchallenge #writeyourstory

Before you get turned off thinking I am portraying my thought life as super spiritual, please pause… take a deep breath. There are only a few reasons my thoughts are consistently flowing upward to Jesus in this current writing season.

And I emphasize season!

1. I read, ponder and write first thing when I awaken to a new day & before I get distracted with everything. Because I will soon be very distracted.
2. I am participating in this daily writing challenge in which my goal is to allow the one-word to draw my pondering thoughts toward Jesus. The challenge is only 28 days.
3. The daily challenge is helping me to cultivate a healthy rhythm. I’m hopeful.

Adore. It’s a broad spectrum word in English. Much over used as is the word love in our western culture. (See the Merriam-Webster definitions for context)

My first pondering thought after reading today’s one-word was of the Christmas song, O Come Let Us Adore Him. Secondly, I asked myself…

“Do I?”

And lastly, these questions of myself, which I find exceedingly difficult to answer without bias, are turned toward Jesus. He knows my heart. He knows what I adore.

“Jesus, You know … You know me and You don’t skirt the truth. Do I adore You? Even as we enter the Lenten season, am I being authentic when I sing the words of this song to You?”

Sometimes I hear myself singing words of praise and adoration to God, and suddenly inwardly, I cringe because I’m aware that the words coming out of my mouth are not a true indication of my heart. Does that ever happen to you?

It’s in these moments of revelation that I wonder if Jesus is rolling His eyes of mercy, shrugging His mighty shoulders and sarcastically muttering, “Really?”

No, I don’t think so. I think that’s one of my possible reactions to someone I see as inauthentic. But I don’t think God responds to us as we respond to others.

Why do I think this?

Well, because my next thought was a memory. Actually, I would describe what I’m pondering as a series of memories like an old fashioned home movie reel.

The movie features a dear friend and her granddaughter. And regularly she sends me video clips of just regular life with this precious little girl who is growing quickly and learning fast.

What has caught my attention this morning is the adoration of the gramma for her granddaughter even though the little girl is coming and going and busy and talking about the regular things of her very small world without much of a glimpse at gramma. Yet, there’s always a moment when the little one looks up to see if gramma’s looking or she comes by and touches gramma’s hand – and then I get it.

Baby girl adores gramma. You can see it in her assurance that gramma is near. Gramma is see-able, touchable and available. Her adoration for gramma doesn’t disappear when she’s busy with a toy or her attention is on a cartoon. She is distracted though. Her focus is on something with which she’s infatuated, but then she remembers gramma. And she looks for her. Gramma has the snack and she moves to gramma for nourishment. Gramma is her security when she feels afraid. She runs to her calling out, “Gramma!” And all is well again. Gramma’s never moved. Never changed. Never lost her affection.

I don’t know if this helps you. It helps me to understand that God adores me for no other reason than I am His creation. He loves and adores me in a way I don’t deserve and I can’t reproduce.

“Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭34‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Oh, and I recognize as the result of all these pondering thoughts, it’s an invitation. The song, O Come Let Us Adore Him; it’s a song of invitation. Am I able to authentically sing this invitation song? Oh, indeed, I can sing myself right into accepting the invitation.

And I can sing it to Him. I can sing adoration until I wonder if I really do. That moment of clarity is so important because it draws my eyes up and causes me to gaze upon His beauty. His glory. His majesty.

As I gaze upon Jesus, His word promises that He removes all my shame. I submit my weakness to Him. I submit my distractions. I surrender my busyness for a moment and reach for His presence. Call on His name. Assurance then fills me because I know I am adored and in His adoration I find peace.

Eyes on Jesus and Shine,

~Lisa

This post is dedicated to my dear friend, Jess Dudley, who first sat with me and helped me untangle what it means to pray. Thank you… for eternity… You shine! And I love you!!