God of the Busy

I started a series a few weeks back at CCW called "The God of the Busy". The goal of the series of messages has been to help our community discover God's presence in the midst of a busy life. Way too often, I say to myself that I will be able to encounter God best when my life calms down. Yet I have found that my life never really calms down, and I would argue that it is not supposed to. My assessment is that our problem is not the busy schedule, it is our inability to practice the presence of Jesus in our everyday lives. There has to be a way to engage our relationship with Jesus even in seasons of busy-ness.One practice that I have stumbled upon over the last few years could be called Selah moments. Selah is a Hebrew word, primarily found in the Psalms, that has been loosely translated 'to pause'. Selah moments are small spans of time when I allow myself a second to pause and be reminded that God is with me. It happens in traffic, waiting in line at Starbucks, on a short run, sitting between meetings and even when I am in the shower. It is more than a few minutes to think or be aware of how I feel. In these few minutes, I confess that God is present and actively working in my life. The goal is to once again, submit my life to His leadership, listen for His direction and engage His presence in the small details of my day. If done right, I will see the small cracks in my faith...the moments where I am leaning on my own understanding instead of trusting in His grace. These Selah moments have become super helpful in my decision-making, my stress and my blood pressure. The challenge in the Selah moments is that they do not just happen.Practicing the presence of Jesus means being intentionally open, present, and available to Jesus. Feeling Him in the busy life ultimately comes down to waking up to the truth: God is with us. He is completely engaged and moving in our lives. He is paying attention to the pressure  we feel and the problems we are trying to solve. He is walking with us through the 20 hour days. He sees all and feels all.If you are reading this post, maybe take the next minute to remind yourself that Jesus is sitting right next to you. Maybe take the next minute and raise your awareness of Him being with you. Pause, lean in and make a decision based on that awareness. Who knows what might happen. Selah.