Reunion

I had not seen them all week, for eveybody went separate ways for the week of the fourth.  Oh but our July birthdays have begun and we celebrated our first of six, Molly's,  which all fall on the same day of the week, one week apart, with three ending on the 30th. And my grandkids came bustling through the door with glee.  If was a late afternoon celebration with a beautifully arranged and cheese tray, meats and cupcakes of course for the kids.  I did have some pasta on the side but they truly were too busy playing to worry about dinner.  They older ones gave hugs, said their hellos, checked out the kitchen fare and then made their way to the front yard to play with neighbors. That left Sam and baby Molly to be friends on their own.  Sam is 2 and Molly is one, and already at this age, you can see that there is a sweet friendship blooming.  Sam adores Molly and you can see that Molly affectionately pats Sam and wants to be with him.  

Aunt Molly is not much for a lot of attention so she played this birthday deal off fairly cool.  She was glad the sisters were there to celebrate, and my husband even made it home in a timely manner from work.  There was time to visit and catch up from the past weeks activities, and share stories of upcoming events and such but the best part was just reuniting. Faces, just seeing faces is enough to fill me up.  You can tell so much by expressions, and watching them as they talk, and listening to their banter. It was just good to be together, even if it was for a short time, Molly was soon off for dinner with friends, and the girls had to head the kids back home for baths and bed.   

I know this time apart was only a week or so for our group, and many of you have out of town children and grandchildren who you sometimes do not get to see for many weeks or months. Schedules get busy it is expensive to travel, and time restrictions seem to often times get in the way.  You do what you can to keep up via email, skype, and phone calls but still you are left yearning for more stories,  more hugs and more one on one time.  Sweet reunions bring joy to a heart, and a stretched connection back into balance.  I know how blessed I am to have all these daughters around and grandchildren to boot and in the same city.  I do not take that for granted because I do have one straggler, living in NY, my son Tom, my precious daughter in law Rebecka and their baby Emma.  

And I miss seeing them and being with them so very much.  Pictures and phone calls help but it is not the same for sure. But I figure God is on the business of human resources, and he places us in positions that he sees fit for growing his kingdom.

I was thinking about my time with God.  When was the last time I saw him, ( we see him in people, in creation, in nature, in impossible situations that have worked out, etc).  or spoke to him ( prayer)  or spent any quality time of reunion with him (meditation)?  If he were to figuratively walk through my door, would he be up on my stories, have I included him in my walk, or would he be a stranger in my midst?  Oh sure God knows everything, and sees everything, but there is a difference in God knowing all about me and me purposefully keeping a relationship in balance with him.  There are for sure times when our connection has been stretched, and I have held him at bay in my decisions, distanced my ways from his, and turned my back from him to worldly guises. And those are times when my emotions get feathered, my discernment gets clouded, and my heart yearns for love and security. You ever been there? Then you know what I am talking about. 

Just as the sweetness of seeing my kids and being with them goes running through my body, so does the sweetness and peace of  God run through our hearts and minds when we have reconnected with him. God wants to be a part of our daily routines.  He wants to be included in our stories, not because he does not already know them but when we share them ourselves and go to him and include him, he ignites within us the very security that we long for. There is a distanced longing that we all have built inside of us to be connected to God.  And when we forfeit our opportunity to engage with him in relationship, and pray to him and ask for his guidance, forgiveness, wisdom, peace and comforting oversight we find ourselves in the midst of a distracted worldly reality that leaves us stranded of love and contentment.   

Acts 17:26-28

New International Version (NIV)

²⁶ From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. ²⁷ God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ²⁸ ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.

Maybe today is a good day to just take a minute and reunite with God. I am not saying go into this big ritual and sacrifice a day in meditation, I am just  offering up a suggestion to include God today in your walk.  Ask for his guidance, share with him your anxious thoughts, but above all, thank him for the blessing that he has given to you to be able to come to him, unannounced and be welcomed into his loving arms. He sees us everyday, oh but the relationship is only connected by us seeing him back, and welcoming him into our world.  Oh the sweetness of reunion, when we come to the Lord in prayer, and in observance of his mighty ways.    

Dear Lord, 

Thank you for building within us a the distanced longing to know you and hang out with you moment by moment.  Thank you for wanting to be engaged in our lives and for faithfully guiding us and loving us.  May we make time to be with you, and seek your ways this day and the ones following, and may we welcome your presence always.  Amen    

Praise God wherever you are and whatever situation He has allowed you to be in . . . His glory will shine through!