I got the book Devotions for Sacred Parenting by Gary Thomas for my birthday (thanks, Ryan!). There are 52 devotions, so I plan to do one every Friday and write up a post of my reflections over the weekend.
This week started off with these verses from Psalm 139:
“Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there:
if I make my bed in my depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
— Psalm 139:7-10
It’s been some time since I’ve read or studied something that was from a traditional Christian worldview. For twenty plus years, it was my main mode of interacting with God. I stepped away from evangelical Christianity to explore other paths of spirituality, but it’s still a deep part of my faith. I want it to be a big part of how I raise Aurora because of how positive of an impact it was for me.
After the last few years of questioning everything and forging a new path for myself, it’s a bit difficult to return to Christianity. As I read this first devotion, I found myself criticizing certain parts of it and even wanting to correct the author. For example, one line made me pause: “‘Honey, how do you think God feels about your attitude right now? Is this pleasing to him?'” To me, this seemed based in fear of punishment and a misplaced desire for God’s approval instead of compassion.
I took a few minutes to reflect on this feeling. It’s good to question things, but I don’t want to go into things ready to find something to disagree with. I’d rather find truth in everything and incorporate it into my walk.
The core message of “God is in the room” is completely true, no matter how you use that knowledge. God isn’t far away, God is not “out there”, God isn’t waiting in heaven for us humans to die. God is here and now. As Jesus said, the kingdom of God is here.
Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”
Luke 17:20-21
I can know that God’s love is always available to me as a mother. God is the ultimate parent, showing compassion, patience, and strength. They* guide their children with love and understanding. That is always something I can draw from, like a well of deep, nourishing water.
I hope to pass this awareness on to Aurora, too, instilling the idea that God is not far away, but within her. God is in the room. God is also in the soil, in the trees, in the ocean, in the sky. God is in others. God is in the mirror. God is in the church building, the brothel, the schools, the bars. God is always accessible. God is always revealing themselves. God can be found in books, in movies, in music. If we open our eyes, we’ll see them everywhere.
What about you? Where do you see God? How do you hope to use the ideas that “God is in the room” in your parenting, your career, or your relationships?
*I chose to use the pronoun “them” to reference God because I like the way it captures the multi-faceted, genderless qualities of God.