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[dropcap2 variation=”coffee”]S[/dropcap2]everal years ago I had a dream. I was in a jail cell surrounded by video monitors. Faces from my past appeared on the screens. They spoke in unison the same messages, over and over:

“You’ll never be good enough.”

“You’re damaged goods.”

“You’re worthless.”

“No one will ever love you.”

When I woke, it felt like my heart had been pierced.

 

The Voices of the Past

The voices of our past are powerful. The messages we received go deep. And underneath those wounding words is a constant wondering: “Do you love me?”

This is our basic hunger. Our striving for meaning, significance, security, and happiness stem from this. We emerge from the womb looking for love. Not just any love either.

We long for the ultimate. We thirst for love that is real, dependable, and permanent. We hunt for it with every fiber of our soul.

We yearn for perfect love.

It’s Him we came out of the womb screaming for. We dreamed of Him all through childhood. We’ve hungered for Him ever since. Real, enduring love.

He created us. We’re hotwired to seek Him, know Him, and do life with Him. We long for the Creator’s love and all it means: acceptance, peace, safety, joy, meaning, significance, adventure.

But the racket of those old, familiar messages distracts us. We believed these lies, and now we hear them in our own voices. We launch into our days on a relentless pursuit to find something, anything that promises to quiet the gnawing hunger within.

 

Back to Basics

Our basic need and fundamental longing is to know the One who created us. It’s his love we’re wired for and only his love will satisfy.

I know this, but I forget so quickly. I can start my day consciously aware of Him, then be lost in my routine in a matter of seconds. The Creator of the universe invites me to do life with Him, yet I seem continually immersed in the trivial and the urgent.

Something has to change.

 

Learning to Experience Love

One verse keeps coming to mind: “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

Be still. Silence. Deliberate times of quiet focus and surrender. I begin my day with a block of time like this, but it’s not enough.

I’m on a mission to sprinkle such moments throughout my day. I’m making the decision to slow down, and as I do, I begin to see little windows of opportunity.

I stop for a moment. I close my eyes. In my mind, I go to Jesus in a place where no burdens are allowed. This isn’t a time for me to run on about my distress and trouble (though I need opportunities to do that). The goal is to just be. To be quiet. To be in His presence. That’s all.

I’m in the presence of perfect love. Yes, He is always with me, but that doesn’t mean I’m experiencing Him. I need deliberate, focused moments to do that.

As I practice this, my heart becomes more settled. When I think about grabbing a few minutes to practice being in his presence, I find myself smiling. These moments are becoming shining highlights in my days.

 

What can you do?

If you’re wanting to experience more of the love you were made for, try this:

Practice silence. Why not now? Take a moment. Close your eyes. Listen. If you’re new to this, you may just want to start there.

Grab time at the beginning and end of the day. Start slow. Just a few minutes will do. Get quiet. Listen.

Mix in a verse of scripture. How about starting with, “Be still and know that I am God”? Listen. Hear it from Him.

Snag random moments throughout the day. Use those few minutes in-between this or that. You have more opportunities than you realize.

Persevere. Keep at it. As you practice silent, receiving-from-Him moments, you’ll find more peace invading your life.

If you want more hints, contact me.

Remember – when you’re consciously in His presence, you’re interacting with perfect love. You were made for this.

 

QUESTION: How do you best experience Love in the midst of the noise of life?
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