It's no secret. I love to worship. I can't wait for Sunday morning to roll around so I can show up to church (late.. let's be honest) and get my worship on. It's not about the singing as much as it is about the overwhelming presence of God that I feel in that place. When you get together with dozens of other people who are all expecting God to show up... crazy things happen.
When I close my eyes, everyone else seems to fade away. I can't hear those of you behind me, or even to the side of me (so don't worry.. I am not paying attention to whether or not you are on pitch, so belt it out- who cares?!). The only sound I hear is the musicians playing the most beautiful sounds that my heart beats in sync with, and our worship team. That's it. It is me and Jennifer (or McKaylin or Tiffany, depending on who happens to be singing at the time) and Jesus and that's it.
It is so easy to get lost. To forget where you are or what time it is. To forget that you woke up late and didn't have time for breakfast and you were starving on the way to church. My eyes don't even consider glancing at the clock. Who cares what time it is? Closing my eyes, I envision little images to accompany the lyrics of the worship. I begin to feel weights lifting off my chest and shoulders. I take deep breaths and exhale whispers of thanks to the One giving me relief. This is where I usually start to choke on my tears and my cheeks start getting soaked. It just happens. Like every time.
It's a euphoric time that I wish would never end. But here's the thing. Why should it? Why should I have to wait until next Sunday to experience this?! Why do I only dance hand in hand with my Father on Sundays? Why only at the Hinesville YMCA? Why have I put God in such a tiny box?
A wise man once told my husband and I that making love was a form of worship. It was a beautiful time that our souls could intertwine and give praise to God for His glorious creation (bow chicka wah wow) (sorry, I couldn't resist..). That had never occurred to me before. If that is true, then what else could be worship? I thought it was just singing...
Worship: the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity; show reverence and adoration for (a deity); honor with religious rites.
Webster didn't even mention singing...
You all know about my workout worship. I realized two days ago that working out was a form of worship. Yesterday I climbed back on the elliptical and started running. My legs were tired and hated me with every fiber in them. But I closed my eyes, cranked up my Jesus Culture radio on Pandora and pressed on. Within moments I was no longer in my living room. I was no longer worried about the time. I wasn't tired and my legs weren't screaming at me. I was simply in the presence of my Maker and I was dancing. I was having a lot of fun actually.
When I laid The Dragon Princess down for her nap, she asked me for a song. She does this a lot lately, only she requests Let It Go specifically. I was tired of singing Let It Go (shocking, eh?) so I started singing some worship songs that I used to sing to Sophia. Hazel laid there peacefully snuggling her Piggy. I closed my eyes and kept singing. Before I knew it I was choking back tears. No, I wasn't sad. I wasn't upset in the least. I was emotional. I was thankful. I was in His presence again. It's an overwhelming feeling to be there. Trust me. Especially for cry babies like me.
This made me realize what I stated before. Everything can be worship. The thing about it, is that even the most mundane things can become glorious and beautiful if you involve God in it. Taking a shower, cooking dinner for your family, driving to work, even running your butt off (literally) on the elliptical.
Colossians 3 1-2 So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.
3-4 Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.
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