Until recently our Benjamin preferred to sit with Kelly and me in the sanctuary each Sunday.
If the pastor asked if anyone wanted to accept Christ…Ben would raise his hand.
If the pastor asked if anyone wanted healing for back pain..Ben would raised his hand.
If the pastor asked if anyone wanted healing for a heart condition…Ben would raise his hand.
Pretty much Ben would raise his hand for any and all healing, salvation, requests for prayer.
I found myself quietly trying to put his arm down.
Then it hit me.
Who cares.
Who cares if he has a heart to ask for these things that he doesn’t even need.
Who cares if he asks Christ into his life 572 times before the age of 7.
He was 4 or 5 or 6 years old and had a heart that wanted more.
He didn’t know it or understand it.
He wasn’t embarrassed or ashamed.
He is the child that raises his hands when he sings worship songs because he sees others and it just feels natural.
He isn’t worried who is looking or who isn’t looking.
He has nothing in his head or heart that tells him what a person that follows Christ needs to do or not to do.
Without realizing it in so many different ways…he wanted more.
It wasn’t too long ago and we had a guest speaker. He offered to pray with anyone after service that just wanted more of God.
Wanted a more real relationship.
Wanted to know the Lord with a deeper understanding.
Our ministry team had also joined him upfront to pray over people.
We have a pretty big church.
As they dismissed us and I was leaving to pick our children up from Sunday School I thought about what was just offered.
I thought about how we were all offered more and 99% of the congregation were heading to pick up their children, go get coffee, talk to friends or head home for lunch.
We were just offered more of God and we all walked away.
Walked away.
The rest of the day I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
I couldn’t believe I said no to more.
I couldn’t believe that most people in my church passed up on more.
Are we a just a group of people that say we believe something but when it gets in the way of lunch time we no longer think it is important?
Can you imagine what our churches would be like if we opened our hands and just said, “I want more”!
Not more money, more clothes, more of a home, more of a car, more of a career….more of Christ.
I found Kelly that afternoon and told him everything that I had been thinking.
I told him how I don’t want to ever pass up opportunities when the Lord is offering more.
It made me think what the Lord was thinking that day.
I imagined Him thinking that he wants so much for us.
He wants to take our pain.
He wants to direct our paths.
He desires closer relationships with us.
He wants to restore marriages and families.
He wants to show us how to use our gifts.
He wants to give us more and we walk right past.
He stands there with gifts of life for us and we say…”no thanks”.
That was over a year ago.
There have been many times between now and then when I have had the opportunity to ask for more.
I am better aware of asking, reaching out my hand, being quiet, asking for help and for asking for more.
I am sure I miss daily offerings all of the time but my heart has changed.
I don’t intentionally pass by more because I don’t want to walk to the front of the church, raise my hand in front of people or because friends are waiting to talk to me.
Are you tired?
Are you weary?
Do you feel depleted or lost?
Do you need a huge exhale in your life right now?
Do you want more?
Open your hands and just ask!
I believe we all need more but are afraid to ask…
True and beautiful words, Jeanne.
Lovely post Jeanne. 🙂 I have been wanting more for a while now. I want to see people more how Christ sees them, I want more to be HIS hands and feet. I want more joy, more peace, more grace, but mostly just more of HIM….his presence in my life….in my everyday.
thank you so much for this reminder…it is so easy to forget and start allowing the little lies that say Christ isn’t enough to consume and we reach to satisfy in every other way, give into fear, worry. etc. instead of falling into the arms of the only one who can fill our fear. worry, chasing after satisfaction… and the whole time He is right there saying just come as you are. thank you for your reminder of truth. I know I needed to hear it today 🙂
love this!!!
I want more! Thanks for sharing!
Love that you are so real and honest . . . and that you DO want more. Thank you for sharing so transparently!
Wonderfully spoken!
Thank you
His grace is enough. His grace is enough. His grace is enough for me.
Oh Jeanne, thank you for the lovely post … You will reach out to so many people who need to hear this, like me. I used to be like your little Benjamin when I was young! Everything at church moved me and I felt God was always talking to me! Thank you for helping me reconnect with the Lord … I had forgotten how to reach out …
Well written, Jeanne, and very inspiring, as usual!
Amazing truth written here, which is not surprising when someone listens to the holy spirit and writes from the heart. Thanks for sharing.
The truth is sometimes starring us in the face and yes we turn away. Why, I don’t know but I do it. I feel like you I should take every opportunity to take in God’s truth, words and wisdom. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Love to you. Di
I sometimes wonder if that is one of the reasons Jesus said we need to become like little children…to have faith like a child, to move beyond the self-conscious thinking and just know that He is our “more,” our “enough,” the I AM… Thank you for the encouragement to pursue Him!
This touched my heart today. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for being an instrument of sharing God in the way that I needed to hear it today. I also was like your Benjamin, and I have been a committed Christ-follower since age 8. But, at 66, life has thrown some challenges my way, and I needed the reminder that HE wants to take my pain and sorrow. I tend to forget I don’t have to bear it alone. Thanks for the reminder.
I want more of God!! The verse you posted above has such deep personal meaning to me. I have it tattooed on my arm to keep reminding myself that He loves me and my path is His.
THIS!!!! Love it so much. You’re SO right.
Thank you for this beautiful post. I have shared the link to here on my facebook page. I do hope that is ok.
Yes, I do want more.
Ben sounds utterly adorable.
Yes! Exactly! There are truly times when I wonder why we don’t fall on our knees in tears at communion. I pray that my heart never becomes stale to His grace and mercies!
Friend, this is your best post yet,and I have been a long time reader. THEBEST. It hit me in my heart, because it was born in yours. Gaaaaah! Give me more posts like this! 😉
This is right where I am, and right where my church is. Why don’t we want it? I think we don’t really understand just how holy He is and how much we are not. Lord, have mercy on us.
Zap! that hit home.
yes!
so, so good.
I want more!