The light and sounds of the room are not anything like home. And the smells, hmmm... Fabreeze may be a cover up, but having the ability to truly refresh the room ...? (We are not so sure whose odors we are breathing in). And depending on where the room is positioned, we may end up with another dimension of discomfort ... “the man upstairs”. The things this "man upstairs" is doing and the sounds he is making above our heads can be downright disruptive and irritating. (No intricate details at this time, only to say --- it is 8:36 am and he is still stomping).
I have stayed in enough motel rooms (the first couple set the standard); that when someone starts talking about their relationship with the "Man Upstairs", I cringe a little because of the disruption that the "man upstairs" of my room has been throughout the years. I have a funny feeling that many who use the term "the Man Upstairs" hold distance and discomfort in their hearts toward God due to what they don't understand about what He is doing up there. Stuff happens, and because we don't really step out of our comfort zones to know Him ... we just continue to live with the irritation of "what in the world is He doing up there?".
Oh, if only our hearts would have a massive refocus. If somehow we would daily live in an addictive desire to know Him. If only we would be obsessive compulsive in our movements to close the distance between us and Him, instead of just leaving Him "upstairs" so that we have no need for accountable love.
The reality the actually exists is that there is a distance; but the flip side is He doesn't want it. "Come unto me, all ye that labor" ... He knows how we work, we must make the decision to come or there is no conscious measure of the distance closing. We need the movement toward Him, and it begins with an aching desire to get close to Him. Song of Solomon 2: 14 - "O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely". "LET ME SEE ... LET ME HEAR … what is upstairs!”
It is the little irritations and unasked questions that create distance via lack of trust and missed prayer opportunities. This relationship is fragile but only on our side ... He is only offended when we separate ourselves from His saving power. Song of Solomon 2:15 - “Take us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes”. Cherish your relationship with Him.
Oh to get to the “Day that Breathes” and to the “Day with no shadows” ... but for now, the "mystery" is the beauty of our Beloved. Like an amazingly noble antelope fleeing into the hills, He maintains the distance for our good and His glory. Song of Solomon 2: 16 – “My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies. 17 Until the day break and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether”. (Bether is The Mountains of Division).
Begin, Today ... come upstairs, find that He is yours and hear Him say "You are mine!"
Happy Anniversary my Love! You inspire me to love Jesus, more.
Let’s continue together to know and to love Emanuel(God with Us) …more and more.
HLFA,
Jeff