Ok, so here's the thing, my life has been on this slow trajectory of transformation, a course of change, a path of purpose and all of a sudden it has been made clear. Like an arrow to the heart, like a pin falling in the dark my new truth, my new reality, came to me in a simple sentence, in a still, small voice.
Ya know how "they" say that your life has meaning, that you make ripples and in many instances you may never know the impact you will make on another life. Well, I just had one of those experiences except in the reverse order of how you would expect.
My new revelation came in the thoughts of Liz Gilbert, in the voice of Julia Roberts. It sprang from the imagination of Ryan Murphy. All of these had a hand in the creation of the movie "eat. pray.love."
I did not walk into the theater looking to leave a different person. I do not give such power to "entertainment," to media. But this experience was different. It came on me quietly, unassuming, and quite naturally. I almost missed it, but there was a higher power at work in that moment and He would not let this pass.
About a third of the way through the movie, as Liz is reflecting on her time in India, she shares her thoughts on how she is changed and what she now believes to be true about herself and this life around her. In a way only Julia could poignantly, softly, respectfully speak another's most intimate feelings, she relayed one simple sentence that has forever changed my life.
"God lives in me, as me."
Six simple words. One concise thought. No ornamentation. No explanation needed. Only pure truth. Pure revelation. Pure calling.
"God lives in me, as me." Can you imagine!? At first it did not register. I heard the words but I was captivated by the sights and sounds that Ryan so skillfully used to recreate the world Liz had lived in that year of her self-rediscovery.
But as with all things of God, He waits for the right moment to share with us a closer glimpse of His Glory. For me, it was about two minutes after my original experience. It took a bit for my brain to transition, to be open to something more than the images on the screen. But then in a moment, like a bolt of lightening, it crashed into my world so clearly, so unmistakeably, I was powerless to stop it. It was a thing of beauty, of majesty, of the Holy Spirit.
GOD LIVES IN ME, AS ME!!!
Again I ask, can you imagine?! Do you know what this means?! Can you grasp the greatness and yet the simplicity of that statement?!
I tried to focus on the rest of the movie, as it turned out I really enjoyed it, but I was distracted by this thought. I was reeling from this idea that God CHOOSES to live as ME. The God of the universe actually submits Himself to live my life. To be subjected to my pain and my anger and my fears and my shortcomings.
My God loves me so much that He walks with me daily, hourly, moment by moment, in order to be close to me. He lives in me in order to encourage me, strengthen me, sustain me, grow me. ME. Temperamental, emotional, outspoken, challenging, demanding little old me.
I have been contemplating lately on starting a blog. My life is in major transition right now and I need some way to process and share my experience. I kept talking myself out of it figuring I didn't have time to add another "thing" into my already busy schedule. Besides, who might want to read what I had to say.
And then I thought back to an interview I saw with Liz Gilbert on Oprah. Liz told O that she was amazed at how "eat. pray. love.," the book, took on a life of its own. How it became this popular, viral, living thing all of its own. She said she had a hard time understanding how other people would and could relate to her personal journey.
Liz said she had a hard time understanding, that is until she saw it on the big screen for the first time. As she heard Julia speak her most intimate thoughts and feelings into life she realized her story could be anyone's story. She felt a peace and an understanding of how her story, and the fact that she was willing to share it, had become a safe harbor for others traveling in the same storm.
And that got me thinking. I know there are more women out in the world that are going through a season of change in their life right now. Women of Faith that might need to know they are not the only ones faced with the challenge of being a child of God and living in a world that seems so far away from Him.
For me, each day is a new challenge. One that I face with the Faith that the Holy Spirit has gifted me with. One where I also need my daily dose of coffee, the one thing the world has gifted me with in order to with IT.
And with that, a blog was born: "in Faith...with Coffee." My hope, my prayer for this blog is that it will be a place where we can join as a community to share experiences, give encouragement, find strength, and be challenged to grow in our faith and our understanding of the very powerful truth that "God lives in me, as me."
May God bless our journey and may He reveal to us the Depth of the Love He has for us, the Width of His Wisdom, and the Strength of His Power to transform our lives.
Please stop back often, to read, to share, to be filled and to overflow onto others. Be a part of the Christ-filled experience this blog can be to so many others as they walk through life "in Faith...with Coffee."
Until We Meet Again,
Drea
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