By Brenda Groves
The Post Newspaper Contributing Writer
I have worked in Alvin for 18 years now, commuting in from the Southern part of the county. And although many towns have their own annual festivities, Alvin is blessed to have two huge community events each year. The Alvin Music Festival, and Frontier Day.
While I have attended both of these fun celebrations in the past, I want to share about a lesson learned last April at Frontier Day.
My hubby and I, along with our son and his children arrived just as the annual parade was starting up. It was the first time our granddaughters, ages 2 and 4, have been to this parade, and they were not disappointed.
We also met up with my cousins, and hundreds of other spectators lining the streets. The floats were creative and colorful, the music was festive and to say the candy was bountiful is an understatement.
I have been to my share of parades over the years, but I don’t believe I have ever seen so much confectionery delights flying through the air! Our oldest granddaughter was wasting no time gathering her share, with squeals of delight.
It was with great joy I watched as she made many trips filling her tiny hands, then running to deposit them into the wagon my son brought to haul his crew. After a while, she even began to share her bounty with another young cousin about her age.
But, it soon became apparent that while having a blast hauling in the candy and small trinkets, she was missing the entire parade passing her by. I tried to bring her attention to this several times, but with head bent she would just giggle and continue collecting the generous supply.
Some time later as I was reflecting on that time with my family, the Lord softly spoke to my own heart, “My child, although it is My great pleasure to daily load you with benefits, don’t miss the fellowship time with Me.”
It melted my heart. And I knew exactly what He was referring to.
When I got born again in 1996 at the age of 33, I got down on my knees in my living room that night expecting to meet the God I believed was real, and had heard about my whole life, and prayed to many times. But, when I called out to Jesus with my whole heart, the only request of wanting to know Him, I could never imagine encountering the overwhelming and unconditional love of God that flooded my heart with joy.
From that moment on, my only desire was to be in His presence and enjoy knowing Him, having a tangible relationship with my Heavenly Father. That is what I lived for. My whole life was/is centered around Him.
I was still a wife and mother, and those relationships flourished from the outpouring of God’s love now living inside of me, in my new born again spirit.
As time went on, I eventually became a disciple of the Lord Jesus and began growing in the knowledge of my new life in Him through His word. After I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in 2007, my spiritual growth kicked into gear. I was able to perceive the spiritual world around us, and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, I started exercising my authority as a born again believer, submitting to God and resisting the devil. I began experiencing miracles, signs and wonders happening in my life and those around me. It was awesome!
But, a person can go from one side of the ditch to the other.
It was right, and needful, to recognize that we are in a spiritual battle against demonic agenda’s, and to get free from it, and to share testimonies helping others to walk in freedom. It was also good to not only bless others, but to be able to receive God’s blessings in abundance as well.
Yet, as I already expressed, to be totally focused in one area, or the other, can land us in a ditch. To get so busy with the things of God, whether it’s rebuking and binding the devil, or totally focused on giving/receiving from Him can take our focus off of knowing Him.
I really enjoyed seeing the smiles on our granddaughters face, hearing her excited laughter as she was gathering all those goodies. But, I also didn’t want her to miss the main reason we came together there, to enjoy the parade.
Likewise, the Bible tells us that God “takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servants,” and “He daily loads us with benefits,” and “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” And many, many more verses about the goodness of God towards us and His giving heart.
In John 17:3, Jesus said, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
The word known in the Bible indicates a type of intimacy, like in Gen. 4:1, where it states, “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain.”
Of course, this is speaking about a physical intimacy, while Jesus is referring to a spiritual intimacy with our Heavenly Father. But this is why Jesus came, that we could know our Heavenly Father, and experience the intimacy of His presence dwelling in us.
Yes, it is true, that He is a good, good, Father, yet, I don’t want the opportunity of knowing Him to pass me by …
(James 1:17; Matt: 7:11; Psalm 35:27, 68:19; 2 Cor. 1:20)
Contact Brenda Groves at: bkgroves1996@yahoo.com
