Separating real life from Holy living

As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
Psalm 42:1

This is something I have never been able to figure out about the Christian life, or at least how some people view the Christian life. A person I'm fond of, after viewing the video of my daughter's wedding, commented about how "religious" the wedding was. I was quite surprised because it didn't seem any more "religious" to me than anything else in our life. To me, that is the way life is to be lived...including God and honoring God in all we do.

While that wedding has now enjoyed many anniversaries, three children, and another on the way, I continue to think of that comment once in awhile. It was one of those eye opening experiences which made me think of how choices made long ago have affected the next generation...not to mention those which follow.

I wasn't raised in a "church-going home". I would attend church with friends at times and even go myself to one of the churches in my small town, mainly out of curiosity. But church life was foreign to me. So...having become a Christian in the midst of the Jesus Movement, I didn't know there were people who thought about and lived out their faith only on Sunday.

Having my spiritual pablum be such teaching as Francis Schaeffer, C.S. Lewis, and others who taught that our lives were to be lived in Christ moment by moment and day by day, I thought all Christians lived that way. I guess one could call it a Brother Lawrence mentality, wanting to be as close to Christ when washing dishes as I am when having my morning quiet time.

At this stage of my life, my calling is not to preach great sermons or leave for a mission field but my calling and my mission field is within one family and four walls right now. It is this group of people for which I will stand before Him and give account someday. I want to be able to talk to Him about this calling, ask for His ideas, receive His direction...while doing dishes. (Can you tell I do a lot of dishes?)

My calling has expanded in past years to include church activities and various jobs but right now...four walls and eight people...and two cats. Sometimes a few friends or neighbors added in for variety from the Lord, or wonderful blogging friends, but face-to-face, the emphasis of my world is small. Just about right for the amount of energy given for the task.

I don't want to separate Monday through Saturday from...Sunday. There is no way I could live my life, with all the challenges that happen each day, if Christianity was only about Sunday. There is not one day that goes by when at sometime, I'm not calling to Him and reminding Him that without Grace, Mercy, Strength, Wisdom, Patience, etc...I will not survive another minute, much less until I can crawl between the flannel sheets and find rest for my body. I need rest for my soul on a moment by moment basis.

I stay close to Him, not for religious reasons ,or because someone says I should pray more often. I pray more often because I live in a fallen world and only through staying close to the Creator can I exist even one more moment. My total life is about Him because only through Him is there life each day.