By Being Far

I was feeling today like I really needed to start blogging again and then I noticed that it had been exactly one month since I last blogged.  Interesting.

I've recently been thinking about what it means to be a good friend.  And what it means to be a good human being, in general.  Not like "good" as in "good works" (Heaven forbid!!!).  But like just to be someone who brings blessings and value into other people's lives by the way that I live (act, speak, etc.). I want to encourage people, but some times I just don't know how.  Jesus went 100% and  I know that I need to work up to that.  But how?  Do I "work" as in "good works"?  Or do I just allow the Holy Spirit work in me?  Or both?  Many of you would say both. But often, I get so frustrated with the lack of activity of the Holy Spirit in my life.  Now, I've heard it all, so please don't start into the whole-"Well, obviously, there's sin in your life and you are blocking Him. Repent!"-thing. As far, as I know - and believe me, I've thought about it a lot over the past few weeks - I don't have anything standing between God and me.  (and yes, it's "me" and not "I".)  So, what's going on?  I guess I just have to trust that He is greater than the boxes that I have put Him in, and that He can jolly-well go on for the rest of my life never speaking to me again and He will remain My Very Great Reward, My Lover, My Counselor, etc.  And there is something attractive about that.  There is something hot about the fact that He isn't doing what I have been led to think that He will do based upon my actions.  ie. if I read my Bible and pray and live an obedient life of love, then God will be near.  Well, He isn't, and I think that's kind of cool because He is doing His own thing.  By being far from me, God is teaching me about Himself.  Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, you who have written devotionals for the past 50 years.  I think before 50 years ago they wouldn't have taught people that our actions will cause God to do certain things.  I think they were aware of His Infinite and Strong Independence. What happened to change our view of Him?  Why have we made him small?  

So, anyway, I guess I can be a blessing to others by continuing to live how I know He'd want me to live, even if He's not doing what I think He "should" be doing based upon my check-list of things that I've done.  And I guess I shouldn't be frustrated with the Holy Spirit and his activity or lack thereof.  I should just think it's cool that the God that I serve doesn't serve me and my tiny preconceptions.

P.S. I always have thought it was so funny that we say "activity of the Holy Spirit".  It makes me think of VBS and how the teacher would say, "Now we are going to do an activity!".  And it was usually either coloring or gluing cotton balls onto a piece of paper and adding glitter.  I don't think that is what "activity of the Holy Spirit" is.