Acknowledging...

Hurry, fast, fleeting thoughts, write them down. As I sit near the fire this Sunday morning, and read Paul’s words in Philippians, I am so reminded of a recent conversation I had with my friend Kay. While she has an incredibly busy life in North Carolina and I speak to her less and less each year, what I realized once more yesterday is the power of words, and more so, the power of acknowledgement. Let me flush this out. When we have a conversation with the people that are dearest to our hearts, and they fully listen and acknowledge us, the value of this experience becomes priceless.

We all have certain love languages. Love languages that we naturally express and want to receive. While ‘getting stuff’ is always fun, I learned long ago that ‘time spent’ with people and physical touch are my two love languages that I thrive in. I don’t need the people closest to me to provide me with things that will break and be outgrown, but what makes me smile for days afterward are the conversations of the deep and words truly acknowledging and understanding me. How simple, how easy, how amazing these are. And the question that comes to mind this Sunday morning is also, how often do we each do this?” Are we acknowledging and affirming each other, so similar to Paul’s words in Philippians.

I am reminded of what Jesus must feel, what our Heavenly Father must be reminded of when we earnestly, when we genuinely come to Him. Coming to Him, as we acknowledge who He is in our lives. God the Father does not need our acknowledgement, He does not need our love. He allows the most amazing sunsets and sunrises, wonders of nature of quake with the new dawn’s day and tends to the lilies of the valley and all of the living creatures. Surely He does not need His earthly children to acknowledge Him and say “Abba,” “Papa?” But, I think that He wants this. We get Jesus, we get to cultivate relationship with his Son everyday if we want to and we have the opportunity to constantly ask questions to Jesus that may not leave our lips otherwise.

We were given the opportunity for relationship because of Christ and I am reminded what God the Father must love so deeply, so profoundly, as one of His children simply acknowledges Him. Are we able to stop, and simply look around us each day, remembering what we have been given, in the midst of daily lives filled with families, responsibilities, stop and go traffic, lines at the gas station and chaos within the economy?

It must be like the prodigal son returning for the first time when we come back to Him, or stop and acknowledge Him that overflows His heart. It must be an awesome thing for a parent to have their children, regardless of age simply say “I love you,’ and acknowledge them truly.

Oh, the beauty in the simple things in life. What profound impact we have in the lives of people we love when we stop and acknowledge, love and listen to those we hold close to our hearts, regardless of age, distance and origin of relationship.

Sister E

The Abbey

03.07.10