A Photovotional — Warming Up to God

The accompanying photo shows me trying to communicate spiritual truth to a snowman. He may look like he’s smiling but, truth be told, I’m getting a cool reception, a downright cold shoulder! Maybe I have him snowed; his eyes looked glazed over, don’t they? OK, enough of this silliness. When I took this picture in Iowa it was really cold. I mean really cold! Thankfully, while my wife Diann quickly took the picture the snowman cooperated and never moved a muscle, an icicle, whatever. We dashed inside to get warm (the two of us, not the snowman).

Sometimes I set up a picture to communicate a message, as was the case here. People can be cool to receiving input, and that includes spiritual input. Putting it more personally, it’s good to reflect on just how open we are to letting God get through to us.

This is the first week in Advent, Advent being the period of time beginning the fourth Sunday before Christmas (which was last Sunday). Advent is viewed as a time of preparation, to get ready to celebrate Christmas.

As awesome and humongous and glorious as God is, He will not impose Himself on us. Perhaps His greatest miracle is the ability to hide Himself from us when we really don’t want to find Him! He gives us the freedom and space to do with Him as we want. Even if we’re really serious about Him there are still a great many distractions and attractions we have to deal with and overcome in order to sensitize ourselves to His presence and working.

The Practice of the Presence of God is a small volume of the collected teachings of 17^th century monk, Brother Lawrence. During this Advent season how about joining me in practicing the presence of God?

How can we do this? You know, I think I’m just going to leave that an open ended question. The Good Lord will help each of us figure out just how we might open ourselves up to Him. Let’s not be a Frosty the Snowman when it comes to faith! Instead, let’s warm up to the idea of a closer experience of God this Christmas season.