Known

 As a kid I used to peer beyond the edges of a rippling lake, trying to measure its depth. If I could see the sand and rocks, I felt safe, but if the sand bed wasn’t visible, the adventure was swimming out beyond my 5-foot frame into the unknown, readying my mind for the vertical drop.  There is a fathomless depth to knowing God. He beckons me to come closer, to forget about how deep the water is, and to swim into the vast knowledge of knowing Him. This thought thrills my soul. I can draw near to God and pursue the wonder of His presence. In I Corinthians 2:10 the apostle Paul explains that even the Spirit searches the deep things of God: “For the Spirit searches all things diligently, even sounding and measuring the profound depths of God, the divine counsels and things far beyond human understanding.” This is God’s Spirit that lives within each surrendered heart. Recently, I’ve been encouraged to seek God in the quiet space of solitude. In fact, it is a requirement for pastoral training.   I’ve discovered that the pursuit of God in quiet spaces recharges my spiritual batteries. Yet there are certain days that present a challenge to become “still” before the LORD and be held in His presence. Wading into the quietness calms the cry of my restless spirit. In solitude my soul is rescued from striving and moved into expectant abiding. Pursuing God in solitude has a dual purpose.  In the discovery of knowing Him, I come to a deeper understanding of self. Allowing the waves of God’s presence to wash over me, I see His Spirit mirroring my reflection, and I begin to see myself as I am known. Song artist Tauren Wells articulates this theme with these lyrics, “it’s a hard and ridiculous grace to be known, fully known and loved” by Abba, my Father. Growing in the knowledge of God unveils a truer picture of who I am in Him and how He is transforming me. God speaks to my condition and changes me somewhere deep inside where it matters. Yet there is more to this journey than knowing God in solitude, He calls me to be known in community. With others, I see the world through a different lens — if I listen closely.  In the smaller community of Life Group, I hear how others experience Scripture. We ask many questions, sometimes there are answers. We imagine ourselves as part of the Biblical narrative to live with the impact of the early Christian experience. There is an ebb and flow to the discussion, with just enough tension to remind me that God is peeling back the layers and revealing new parts of me through my Life Group community.  Sometimes our discussions move past the boundaries of my religious experience, and I witness how God has moved in the lives of my friends who grew up in South America and northern Africa. Our childhood memories of faith, reverence of sacred symbols, fear of being known as a Christian, all weave a unique mosaic as God knits the edges of our lives together creating a bold, beautiful pattern.  We are known by God, and we are known in community.  In this safe space we come to know ourselves, better. God is calling us to come closer to peer into the depths of His ridiculous grace, and His amazing love.  “Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me” (Psalm 42:7). Wade into His presence and be known.

Many blessings,

Serena