How well do you really know the Father

Had a conversation with my mother the other day... Not unlike any other day... But this day brought about a revelation that I hadn't considered.

We were discussing how she had enjoyed watching folks ice skating as she was in attendance of a friend's daughter's birthday celebration. Thought to myself, wait... what? My mother likes being active... like sports? When did this happen? I immediately reviewed all the memories I could conjure up to reflect on her words. No longer listening to a word she is currently saying... I hear the Holy Spirit speak to me... Your mother has always mentioned sports -- swimming, handball/raquetball, ice skating at Central Park and the Rink At Rockefeller Center, table tennis, etc... It was then that I the revelation.

I've known my mother my whole life (not trying to be dramatic, but for real)! How do you know someone your whole life, and not take the time to get to know them? She's always been "Mommy", and in recent years she's become my best friend. She speaks to me daily, watches out for me as much as she can, speaks life into drab situations... laughs with me, will cry with me, and let me know when I need correction. How did I miss who she is? She, just being mom, was my provider, taxi cab driver, boo-boo kisser, advocate, self-esteem booster, and overall, hardest working woman I have ever known. I was so busy seeing her only as the woman that raised me, I never thought to acknowledge who she was as an individual. What were her likes/dislikes, dreams/passions, what was she REALLY like.

Here's the revelation... How many of us say we love God? Truly feel like we do? We attend church, pray, read the word... Now imagine that we take the time to actually have a conversation with God... ask Him to show Himself to us... Let Him reveal who He truly is, what makes Him happy, help us to understand His word, let our motions and motives have true meaning by allowing us to truly get to know Him.

Do you really know the Father? Or is He who we cry out to when we've messed up? Do we show up on a Sunday/Wednesday, throw money at the church, do a good deed and feel like we've done enough? Who is willing to put forth the effort to truly chase and hunger after God? This one thing I do know... If we truly want to know someone, desire a meaningful relationship with them, then start asking questions, start reaching out to them, think about them often... speak / listen / hear them when they speak... answer when they have asked something of you... understand how deep their love is for you... and tell me what your relationship looks like after that... Tell me if you then TRULY find someone you only thought you knew, and instead find out, how much you missed, but just seeing the surface and allowing that to be enough!

Be encouraged, your best is yet to come!