God Dwelling Within Us

I met a few of them all within a couple of days. They just happened to be older men and women but I’m sure younger ones would have acted the same. They were sitting all by themselves portraying loneliness, dissatisfaction. They portrayed an ‘I don’t care’ attitude, ‘don’t come near me.’ Their folded arms and demeanour said ‘keep out’ but how could I do that? We were in a talk and were asked to turn to the people around us and say ‘hello.’

As I turned, I saw no movement from the man near me. No movement from the lady in front of me so I stepped out of my seat and walked toward them. Both their faces portrayed surprise. Maybe they thought their stand offish, ‘keep out’ signage plastered all over their face and body was enough to keep people away. I said ‘hello’, offered my name and I received a nod back as a reply.

Ah well I tried.

The next day, for the event went for 4 days, they were back in the same seats with the scowl across their face. At least they had come back. Once again, we were asked to say ‘hello’ to those around us. As I turned to the man at the end of my row, he turned towards me! I was pleasantly surprised. He actually came out of his seat and walked towards me with his hand held out to shake my hand. It was a warm handshake too and I got a smile, and he told me his name. Internally I was praising God and asking Him to continue to bless both this man and the woman in front.

The woman did not turn but acknowledged my welcome. Again, I thought ‘Praise the Lord’, He is softening their hearts.

Later in the day I found out a little of this man’s story and understood more why he was reticent, unapproachable. Life had been hard. But God’s love had come to him that day. He heard something in the first day’s talk that made him pray all night. Asking, begging for God’s mercy and Love.

And guess what?

He showed up!

So faithful is Our God.

People are hurting. People are unsure and afraid. They just need love and understanding and all those barriers come tumbling down.

I have been reading a book called “Letters from Henri” and it is simply amazing. It is a compilation of letters that Henri Nouwen wrote back to people who had written to him with questions or just sharing their lives and circumstances. He was a Dutch Catholic priest, Professor, writer, and Theologian. His interests were rooted primarily in psychology. His explanation of the human condition, thoughts, actions, psyche, overlaid with God, our Creator, our Savior, our friend weaves pictures, understandings of us and God’s ways.

He wrote this on humans struggling and full of pain.

“It is important to hold onto the conviction that the Lord loves you. He is active in your lives here and now and that the many pains you are struggling with are not outside of His knowledge or care. Somewhere He is doing something lovingly to you even when it seems what you experience is only hurt.”

~ Henri Nouwen

This next line is what astounded me.

“He is carving out a cave to dwell in – you might not be aware of the space He is creating in you for Himself.”

~ Henri Nouwen

The hole He is making of Himself becomes your whole focus living within you. This hole of Himself, this internal place, provides you with shelter, sustenance, love, comfort, direction, safety, contentment……

The pain, the struggle, the distraction He is using or allowing is to give you opportunity to spend more time with Him, to go deeper with Him. This cave is being carved out within us, so He can fill us up more. As John the Baptist said, “More of Him and Less of Me.”

I could see this happening with these two people. As they let God in, they were happier, not as afraid, could open themselves up so as to let people back in their lives again.
Our God did that!

His presence within them made them not to live in the cave of themselves but live in the place where God dwells and to be able to go out to love others.

Do you need God to dwell more within you?

May these jottings from my journal inspire you to believe in and fall in love with Christ- the hope of the world, as stated in Jeremiah 17:7, ‘Blessed is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord and whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord!’

Love

Rosemary

Every week groups of ladies meet together to chat about the things I raise in my weekly blog post and to chat about life in general. We call these ‘Heart Connect’ groups.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

What are the times in your life where you have not allowed God to dwell within you?

How were you able to allow God in?

If you struggle with this, what are the ways that you could try to be open to God in you?

What pain or struggles has God used to draw you closer to Him?