Pages

Friday, June 21, 2013

He knows me like...

Psalm 139 tells me that God knows everything about me. He knows all of the intimate details of my life and who I am. In a world where you get jobs because of who you know or you're judged by who you know or you rate yourself by how many people you "know" on Facebook, I think we all would say that at the end of the day, we want to be truly known. To be known and to be loved because and even though we are known.

The lyrics to an incredible song called "Known" with Psalm 139 at its heart have painted such indelible pictures in my mind of how God knows me. The song is full of analogies and sometimes we really need analogies to grasp heavenly things.

There are a number of analogies in the Bible that use earthly relationships to help us understand our relationship with God. Here are a few:

He knows me like...



When I think of how I know Him, my thoughts can hardly be put into words because I know my knowledge of Him will never be complete this side of Heaven. I am constantly learning about Him and getting to know Him better.

I know Him like...
  • a bluebird knows the sky (it flies through the sky every day and yet is always seeing something new or flying a different path; it has limitless room to explore the infinite reaches of the sky)
  • a child at the symphony (she knows the melody but has much to learn before she can understand how the harmonies weave together to form a masterpiece)


 

  • an angelfish knows the sea (it swims through the depths of the ocean its whole life but faces open water and endless routes to travel)
He knows me completely, and I have a lifetime to get to know Him. May it be an everyday pursuit. An intentional pursuit. A wholehearted pursuit. To know my Creator...

Saturday, June 1, 2013

My sister, my friend

I have the privilege of sharing a deep friendship with my sister, Angela. It's one of those relationships that confuses people these days. Growing up, we didn't fight like so many sisters do. Being four years apart, we each had our own interests and commitments.

(However, I always wanted to be just like Angela in so many ways. Beyond wanting to follow in her physical, academic, and social footsteps, I even asked "Santa" for glasses and braces one Christmas just so I could be more like her!)


In our school years, we wrote notes to each other on notebook paper with gel pens (you know, the ones where you were cooler the more colors you owned?) I always wished I could figure out how to fold them like she did!

We made up nicknames for boys we had crushes on and made whole days out of shopping at the mall with Mom. We also both played softball and other sports, and Dad was right there with each of us as a formal or informal coach.

Throughout the early years, we got along very well as sisters, and as we moved into high school and college and started to walk different paths of interest (she excelled in drill team, and I pursued music), that is when we really became true friends.

Life started to throw new curves at us, and our conversations evolved from crushes, high school drama, and which college we wanted to attend to our faith, careers, and thoughts of marriage someday.

After college, we did the most logical thing for two single sister-friends: We got an apartment together. It made perfect sense for us. That was five and a half years ago, and I've loved every minute!

Angela is my confidante, my advisor, my encourager, and my listening ear. She laughs with me, prays with me, and cries with me. She comes to my concerts; I go to her movies. We've read the whole Bible together, and we've watched all three seasons of "Downton Abbey" (more than once!). We compromise, we learn, and we grow. We face the future with the assurance of our faith in God and our bond of friendship.

Each year, we celebrate our own special Sister's Day on June 1. Today consisted of time celebrating our friendship, and a delicious meal at Zoe's Kitchen:

                                                                 Chicken Kabobs

                                                                 Chicken Pita Pizza

Will life change our current situation? Yes, someday things will change - our living arrangements, our careers, etc. But I know that our love for each other as sisters and friends will never change, and for that, I am eternally grateful!