888 Seeking a Relationship

I once heard it said that we each of us have a God-sized hole only he can fill. We are designed to crave and need our Creator. We thrive in relationship with him. But, how do you have a relationship with someone you can’t see? Someone whose voice you can’t hear? Someone whose ways are a mystery. How exactly do you get connected with God? I have a connection with the Almighty. I have a direct line with him. He speaks to me every morning and I feel his undeniable guidance. When I sit down to write, I form it as an email on my laptop. When I click on that “new message” button and the completely blank page appears, I get excited to see what God is going to share with me. Our connection is that literal. Our relationship is that deep. But let me tell you, it wasn’t always that way. I grew up not knowing God. I didn’t know scripture, or even the basic Bible stories. My first memory of going to church was at 15 years old and the toddlers were invited to perform on stage with little instruments. They sang a song that said “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world.” I remember thinking I was too late. I’m no longer a little child and I’ve missed out on Jesus’ love. Maybe you’ve always felt out on the outskirts of His love. Like you showed up late and missed the offering of a relationship. You’re looking in from the outside, wondering how in the world you get invited into the inner circle with Jesus. You’re not alone. Many others feel the same. Last week I received a Facebook message from Bridget. She asked me how she could have the loving relationship I have with our Heavenly Father. How I could pray and know he is answering my specific prayers. I’ve never really considered “how” that happened, so I pondered on it the entire day. How did I go from the outsider who felt too late, to the girl who sits with Jesus every morning and hears from him through her fingers as she formats a devotional as an email? How have I gone from just receiving information by reading the Bible, to intimacy with my Creator? I have a one word answer. One word can tell you exactly how I stepped myself into the inner circle of God’s kingdom and boldly claim my position as his beloved girl in a real relationship. One word … here it is … GRATITUDE. My journey has been fueled by gratitude. Gratitude has transformed my life, changed my perspective, and created a loving intimacy with God where I can say he is soooooooo sweet. He hears my every prayer. He moves on my behalf. His eye is always on me. He considers his good plans for me personally in his ultimate will. He loves me purely as his daughter and chooses me over and over again. He rescues me continually and sets me back on the right path. Oh yes, I have a relationship with the Almighty God, and it has been fueled by gratitude. Gratitude has PROVEN his love for me every day. I have photo documentation of his direct and personal love for me. I can show you. 12 years ago this week, I began a practice of taking a daily gratitude photo. I intentionally searched each and every day for a moment that I most wanted to remember with deep gratitude, and I took a photo of it. Now this was before the day of smart phones with high tech cameras. It required me to literally carry around my camera with me. I didn’t carry a phone, but I carried my camera. Everywhere I went I had my blue, waterproof Olympus camera, as I was continually on the search for a moment to be deeply grateful for. I learned to not stop the moment and pose it perfectly, but instead capture the moment as it was happening and allow myself to feel immense gratitude for it. Every day of my life since July 1, 2009 has been documented with a single gratitude photo. I’ve never missed a day. This means, every single day,