Wor'ship n.- 1 prayer, service, etc. in reverence to a deity 2 intense love or admiration
The worship team from our church attended a conference on worship this past weekend in Powder Springs, GA. (This is just north of Atlanta). It was a great conference if for no other reason than to have the experience of continuous worship for periods of 3 to 4 hours, without being conscious of this passage of time. (You have to experience it to understand it.) But in addition to the wonderful praise and worship time, there was some wonderful teaching. During one of the sessions a woman by the name of Barbara Yoder spoke and related worship to how her dog is toward her. The lights came on in my head. I immediately thought of my dog, Cinnamon.
I call the dog mine not because I chose him. I didn't. My husband did. He isn't mine because I play with him the most or give him the most attention. I don't. The kids and my husband do. I say he is mine because HE (Cinnamon) made that decision.
In the mornings, Cinnamon has a tendency to start whining around 5:30 to go out. I usually sleep through it so my husband graciously (or not so graciously) gets up and lets him out. Cinnamon will go about his morning routine and return to the door. When I do come downstairs whether it is awhile later or while he is still outside, as soon as Cinnamon sees me he wants back out! It's as if it doesn't count if someone besides me lets him out.
I feed and water the dog in the mornings. Now I know what you're thinking, that's why Cinnamon prefers me, but you're wrong. I feed the dog simply because he won't eat if anyone else feeds him! Not only that, he won't eat if he can't see me from his food bowl. Even then he goes to the bowl, picks up several pieces of food and carries them to the room where I am before he will eat. Often times he won't eat if I'm not in the same room with him even if he can see me. He would rather starve than leave my presence.
When I leave for work in the mornings, Cinnamon goes to his cage and "mourns" until I get home. He seems to know what time I am expected back because around that time each afternoon he comes out of his cage and becomes antsy. He'll go toward the door I am to enter as if to say, "It's time! Where is she?" He even knows the sound of the car I drive. When he hears it finally pull into the driveway, he gets excited.
When I walk in the door, he comes to see me and for the rest of the evening will hardly let me out of his sight. He follows me from room to room. Wherever I go, he is always close by. If I just stand up from my seat, he raises to his feet until I sit back down. He readies himself just in case I should move. He is prepared to follow wherever I lead.
He always wants to be as close to me as possible. If he can't be in my lap, he chooses to be beside me. If he can't be beside me, he chooses to sit at my feet. If he is forced to leave my presence, he tucks his tail and hangs his head as he mopes toward his kennel. As soon as he is allowed to return, his entire countenance brightens and he quickly trots back to my side.
As I write this, tears are welling up in my eyes, not because I love the dog so much or that his love means so much to me, but because I realize that the kind of devotion that dog has is how I should be toward my God.
I should desire to be in God's presence over anyone, anything or anywhere else. I should desire His presence more than Earthly food and drink. His food should be what I hunger for. His living waters should be what I quench my thirst with. I should expect to meet Him wherever I go and strive to never leave His presence. My desire should be to please Him above all others. I should be devoted to Him forsaking all others.
The worship team from our church attended a conference on worship this past weekend in Powder Springs, GA. (This is just north of Atlanta). It was a great conference if for no other reason than to have the experience of continuous worship for periods of 3 to 4 hours, without being conscious of this passage of time. (You have to experience it to understand it.) But in addition to the wonderful praise and worship time, there was some wonderful teaching. During one of the sessions a woman by the name of Barbara Yoder spoke and related worship to how her dog is toward her. The lights came on in my head. I immediately thought of my dog, Cinnamon.
I call the dog mine not because I chose him. I didn't. My husband did. He isn't mine because I play with him the most or give him the most attention. I don't. The kids and my husband do. I say he is mine because HE (Cinnamon) made that decision.
In the mornings, Cinnamon has a tendency to start whining around 5:30 to go out. I usually sleep through it so my husband graciously (or not so graciously) gets up and lets him out. Cinnamon will go about his morning routine and return to the door. When I do come downstairs whether it is awhile later or while he is still outside, as soon as Cinnamon sees me he wants back out! It's as if it doesn't count if someone besides me lets him out.
I feed and water the dog in the mornings. Now I know what you're thinking, that's why Cinnamon prefers me, but you're wrong. I feed the dog simply because he won't eat if anyone else feeds him! Not only that, he won't eat if he can't see me from his food bowl. Even then he goes to the bowl, picks up several pieces of food and carries them to the room where I am before he will eat. Often times he won't eat if I'm not in the same room with him even if he can see me. He would rather starve than leave my presence.
When I leave for work in the mornings, Cinnamon goes to his cage and "mourns" until I get home. He seems to know what time I am expected back because around that time each afternoon he comes out of his cage and becomes antsy. He'll go toward the door I am to enter as if to say, "It's time! Where is she?" He even knows the sound of the car I drive. When he hears it finally pull into the driveway, he gets excited.
When I walk in the door, he comes to see me and for the rest of the evening will hardly let me out of his sight. He follows me from room to room. Wherever I go, he is always close by. If I just stand up from my seat, he raises to his feet until I sit back down. He readies himself just in case I should move. He is prepared to follow wherever I lead.
He always wants to be as close to me as possible. If he can't be in my lap, he chooses to be beside me. If he can't be beside me, he chooses to sit at my feet. If he is forced to leave my presence, he tucks his tail and hangs his head as he mopes toward his kennel. As soon as he is allowed to return, his entire countenance brightens and he quickly trots back to my side.
As I write this, tears are welling up in my eyes, not because I love the dog so much or that his love means so much to me, but because I realize that the kind of devotion that dog has is how I should be toward my God.
I should desire to be in God's presence over anyone, anything or anywhere else. I should desire His presence more than Earthly food and drink. His food should be what I hunger for. His living waters should be what I quench my thirst with. I should expect to meet Him wherever I go and strive to never leave His presence. My desire should be to please Him above all others. I should be devoted to Him forsaking all others.
Cinnamon loves the entire family it is obvious. The family is his top priority, but I am his life! My husband has often said if something happens to me that they will have to build a little coffin for Cinnamon because he would die without me.
God, help me to make you my life!
3 comments:
Amen & amen... It's so easy to let God become "2nd nature" - to the point He takes a backseat to everything else in our lives... And yes, life is busy - but that should never be the excuse. Because life is busy, we should be waking up with a prayer on our lips for help for the day, and worshiping Him throughout the day (coninuously praying - & living worship).
I can't express enough, or find the right words to say how much this Worship Conf. meant to me! He changed me in ways I only distantly wanted. My prayer now is that I will pass on what He has given me - and be Free in my worship for my family/church/others.
A beautiful anaology.
Thanks for stopping by, Pastor Conn. I am honored,...and embarrassed. I realized I had several wrong words when I had an opportunity to go back and proofread the post. That just drives crazy when I do that!
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