Are you ever in a situation when you realize you haven’t talked to a good friend in a long time or realized you have neglected someone close to you? What is your response? Do you feel awkward around your close friend the next time you see them? Do you wonder what to do? Do you wonder if you two are as close as you used to be and if they still want friendship?
I was playing on the worship team the other day and realized something was missing. I realized as I was playing and singing that I was doing something that was special and intimate with my Friend and my God yet it felt kind of awkward. I realized I had neglected my Friend and had not purposely spent time to connect with him. So now as I was doing something that was more intimate it seemed weird and I found myself wondering what to do next.
If it was, lets say Sammy (one of my best friends), I would have said “Dude we need to get together ASAP” and I would have made sure we set something up right away to re -connect. But in that moment I felt awkward and was wondering what I could do.
Why does it seem so easy with my friends on earth but so hard with my God and Friend who loves me more deeply and unconditionally then any friend I can have on this earth? Why did I wonder what to do next? When in reflection I know that my God and Friend is wanting me to come to the realization that I neglected our relationship and is asking me to just come back and hang out. Could it be that I really don’t believe or understand what it means for God to love me and want my friendship in the deep, unconditional way that he does? It so easy with my physical friend but why did it feel hard with my God?
It is because I still don’t get it. I don’t get that he is REALLY my FRIEND. That he REALLY does want my RELATIONSHIP and is not getting overly concerned like I am with what to do now. The time was not to try and “Figure it out” it was time to do what I know to do in any relationship, just go spend time in that relationship.
The thing is if I had rejected a friend and pushed him aside I could have had good reason to be worried about how he would be feeling toward me and if he feeling mad at me and even questing our friendship. But My God, the one who called me Friend before I called him one, is not their sitting and seething but he is waiting and wanting me to come to him and he wants to draw close to me. He wants me even when I have rejected him.
We have no need to be awkward with that Relationship. Yes I need to be challenged with the reality that I have neglected my God and that is wrong but I need not fear returning. I need to just return, and return with passion for renewing this friendship even more deeply and confidently then I would with my best friend on earth. God is calling me… he might be calling you right now. Relax he is not yelling. He’s just saying… “Come on, let’s hang out. I miss you? Don’t you miss me to?”
