Thinking About a Big God

So uh… I went to the Women of Faith conference in Oklahoma City!

I spent hours trying to think of one word to use that described the weekend, and ‘fantastic’ does not even come close to how amazing it was.

I drank Starbucks, had a quick talk with the amazing Sandy Patti, saw Korie Robertson, ate an entire bag of Sour Patch Kids, shook hands with the guys from Building 429, saw Jen Hatmaker, and got to worship with probably the entire female population of Oklahoma.

I could write for hours about the amazing speakers and the OHMYWORD amazing worship time, but I’m not going to waste too much of your time fangirling. (Because we all know I could do that for years…)

I tend to think of myself as slightly socially awkward. I’m a writer and honestly, I could spend my entire life in a coffee shop or stadium just watching people, talking to them—even just briefly—and getting to be a part of their life. Because I love ‘people watching,’ and talking to people, I spent a good amount of time doing just that.

People—myself included—got jacked up for Jesus. We worshiped as a body of Christ, and worshiped with our entire beings.

In that setting it was easy to do. The Spirit of the Lord was heavy upon that place, and it was just natural.

As I stood in this arena with 8000 women admiring and adoring Jesus and passionately worshiping His Name, it was easy to enter into his rest.

On the way back to the apartment that night (whist eating the remaining Sour Patch Kids) I was thinking about… well, everything under the sun.

I still don’t want to waste your time, so I’ll just write about one of the many thoughts.  

The thought that was most prevalent was this one: the same Jesus Christ who was in the arena, and who was working in the hearts and lives of so many people, is the same Jesus Christ that I pray to.

I have access to him. I can pray to him whenever I want. I can pick up his word whenever I want to.

I like to think of myself as a pretty strong Christian. My faith is my life, and I love Jesus with everything in me, and want him as my all in all.

But to be honest, it kind of takes an all weekend conference for me to truly worship him. To really pray like I mean it, and to seek his face like I believe he has answers to all my questions.

He’s the same Jesus, and even though he would probably love for me to always be open to him to work in me, I don’t always really… do it.

The same God in the arena with 8000 ladies is the same Loving Creator that sits next to me while I blog on the couch in my yoga pants.

He’s the same both now and forever more.

If that’s true, how come I only really worship the same God at church and worship services? 

I love the way it feels to be filled with the rest of Jesus Christ. I love worshiping and adoring his name. It overwhelms me to watch him move in hearts and minds!

That being the truth, why don’t I just do it?

Although I could waste your time by rambling about coffee and all that jazz, I’m just going to cut to the chase.

Even though we have access to God, and even though we can worship and praise him whenever we would like to, we don’t because it’s not really a… I don’t want to say ‘priority’ but I’m going to use that word because I’m to lazy to google a better word.

I don’t always wake up at 5:30 pumped and ready to get ready for my day, get my entire act together by 7:00—even journaling!-- and am out the door ready for a full day of worshiping God.

Even though that’s the reality of what I’m doing everyday with my life, I don’t really do it.

I realize the worshiping God every day the same way one would at a conference is extremely impractical. Singing with the Women of Faith Worship team in the car on the way to the store would probably get you pulled over.

But it’s not like God only resides over the select few that gather at a conference, he lives in each one of his children.

That life change and the powerful words of our Creator aren’t just for one time. They aren’t just for an afternoon with Building 429, and they aren’t just for Marilyn Meburg and Jen Hatmaker.

They are for you where you are. Doing dishes, working at the office, and even in the grocery store parking lot. 

He’s here! Just waiting and pleading to be worshipped. Wanting that same adoration and praise—even when someone cuts you off on the highway.

He’s Jesus over more than a stadium. He’s Jesus over all areas of life.

I’m not sure why that’s so hard to really grasp and then live by, but for some reason it is. It’s hard not to return from something where God was present and not say “God moved there.” The truth is, God didn’t just, “move there,” he’s in the process of moving.

Because our God is amazing, he’s in the process of moving right now.

Your life may result on two very opposite ends of the spectrum—very good or very bad—he’s not just moving at a place where there are people everywhere and it’s expected to worship him. He’s still moving.

Now the verse that I’m closing with is about as good as my brain will allow me at the current time I’m drafting this, so it might seem a little random, so maybe think about it a little, because I don’t want to explain it. (I’m either lazy or tired. *Shrug*) 

“The LORD answered, “I myself will go with you, and I will give you victory.” Then Moses said to him, “If you yourself don’t go with us, then don’t send us away from this place. If you don’t go with us, no one will know that you are please with me and with your people. These people and I will be no different from any other people on earth.”

          ~Exodus 33:15-16

~Rachel Joy

Congratulations for those of you who read all of this. It’s the longest thing I’ve ever published…