I don't know if you've ever had anything taken from you, but it's not a fun experience. Last night I got on Facebook to find that one of my Facebook "friends" had posted one of my pictures (that I posted three+ weeks ago) on her page with the caption, "It's a beautiful Sunday! I love fall!"

Needless to say I was confused and annoyed, and I will admit that I let it bother me more than it should have for a little while..until I got into the shower. (Now that might seem like a strange statement to some, but those who know me know that my reflection/thinking/praying time happens most frequently in the shower.) I continued to think about the person posting the picture as their own: Why would they do this? What made them decide to do this? Why did this person "take" from me?

  

This thought process--for whatever reason--led me to the give-and-take that comes with all relationships. Some of us give everything we have to every relationship we're in while some of us are not wired in a way that calls us to give all we have or maybe we've even been hurt by relationships in the past where we gave and gave and gave and received nothing in return, only to end up broken-hearted.

I have been in those relationships where I thought I gave everything I had and did my best to always ask for very little because I thought that was my role in the relationship, to be the person that makes the other person feel good about themselves and life in general. It's funny that I can remember myself being on that end of previous relationships because there is one very important--in fact the most important--relationship that I am currently in where I am in fact the one who most often takes and takes while tending to forget to give in return to the other party. The relationship to which I'm referring is the one between me and God.

Now hear me when I say I know that I do not have to do anything to "earn" my salvation or "do works" to receive the grace that is freely given to me and all others who choose to accept it; however, I do think it is important to spend time with God as a means to a healthy relationship with God, as well as healthy interactions with others. So, when thinking about the give-and-take of relationships last night, I realized God is getting gypped in our relationship! I am constantly griping to God about things, turning my concerns over to God, and asking things of God (which is all fine and good in my opinion because God wants us to be real), but it hit me like a ton of bricks last night that I am not giving to our relationship as much as I should. I'm not giving to God like I would try to give to someone else in any other relationship. Instead of trying to focus on giving to God, I take for granted the gifts, graciousness, and guidance I'm given and go right on taking.

No, there's no universal prescribed amount of time that is suggested by theologians or ministerial leaders for spending with God, but think about it: When was the last time you took the time to just "be" in the presence of your Higher Power? Think about the peace that you felt tingling through your limbs as you experienced the Spirit there with you. For nothing other than those moments of peace, reassurance, and rest with the Divine should we do our best to make time for the Divine in our daily lives. And that might involve talking to God, but when's the last time we LISTENED to God? When's the last time we sat and called God's presence into our awareness? When's the last time we sang/meditated on the idea from the age-old hymn:

I need thee, O I need thee; every hour I need thee; O bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee.

We do need God. I do, at least. God is the reason I make it through the rough days, but God is also the reason I can rejoice. My family, my husband, my friends, food to eat and a roof over my head...all of these things remind me that God is near. They also remind me that there are many who do not have these blessings and that it is our duty as believers who are called to love others, form relationships with and provide for those in need so that they might know God is near to them as well. Some of us have it easier than others--we can acknowledge God's presence in our lives because we don't "want" for anything. Our needs are met; therefore, our eyes are more aware of the love and presence of God in our lives. In order for the Kingdom of Heaven to be noticed here on earth, it is vital that we genuinely love and care for one another; it is vital that we GIVE to one another! 

We are called to reveal the Kingdom, in whatever capacity we're being led. We don't help people in need and form relationships with people in need to be "good Godly people;" we do it because we have been created to love and for love, and we are meant to spread that love (i.e. the love of God) to everyone who has not been able to see, feel, and experience it for themselves.

God is always near; whether we take the time to spend with God, to be thankful in the gift of God's presence in this world, or whether we are so wrapped up in worldly things that we lose our God-senses, that we stop acknowledging that God is here and that God is working in each of us... no matter what, God is always near. We will continue to take from God, and God will continue to give to us. This gift of God's giving is not given to us so that we may keep it to ourselves and be comfortable in where/who we are as people; no, this gift is meant for something much greater. It is meant to be exponentially extended, to be shared with everyone-- all people everywhere.

 Suddenly having something as silly as a picture taken from me does not seem nearly as significant as it was last night. I do plenty of taking of my own, and I am loved indefinitely by my Creator despite of it. I pray that we would move into a season of serious giving of time and energy in our relationships with God and also with one another. How can we work together to find the good, to make evident the presence and the peace of God dwelling among us?  

How can we better give to God&others?

 How can we better love God&others?