Getting Into God's Stride

I am very much a gold star Christian. I want to grow closer to God, so I make a spiritual to-do list of everything I need to do to get things right and get closer. That said, I get very frustrated when something doesn't work like clockwork within that plan.

Last night I went to the movies with my friend Tiffany. We did a double feature: Whip It and Couple's Retreat. Both good movies, though Whip It wins for me. Couple's Retreat was hilarious. It centers around a couple who find that their marriage is falling apart, so they and 3 of their friend couples go to an island of Paradise to endure therapy and attempt to mend their relationship. This couple is type A to the max...every issue they discuss comes with a power point presentation, they follow the schedule to a T..and the husband is the worse. Nothing can deviate from THE PLAN, which eventually becomes his downfall.

Anyway, I was having a date this morning with good buddy Oswald Chambers, and today's topic was "Getting Into God's Stride." Chambers says that "the true test of someone's spiritual life and character is not what he does in the extraordinary moments of life, but what he does during the ordinary times when there is nothing extraordinary or exciting happening." Later, he makes the statement, "spiritual truth is learned in the atmosphere that surrounds us, not through intellectual reasoning." It was in reading this that I realized just how much I am like the husband in Couple's Retreat. I want so much to connect with God, so I "figure out" out to do it. I make a plan and try to adhere to it. I map it out completely in my head. Only as I go about the steps, there really isn't much actual connection going on. As a result, my faith really isn't that strong. I question constantly, and am not one to just rest in God's peace.

How does a person rework their brain to not work for gold stars? I am not sure. But I think the best place to start is to realize that me trying to DO things hasn't worked out so far. Instead, I am just going to pray and ask God to help me put aside the reasoner and just live in faith daily. Relationship over reason...easier said than done, but definitely worth it!