What Are You Missing?

August 29
What Are You Missing? By Lysa Turkeurst

A few summers ago, my son, Mark, was working at a family camp. While the mountains were breathtaking, the friends were plentiful, and the food was every teenager’s dream, he missed home. Not horribly — but just enough to tug on the vulnerable places of his heart.

I knew he needed some sweet comfort from home. So, I packaged up some things he needed and a few things I knew would make him happy and sent my gift of love.

After a few days, I kept wondering when I’d get a text message from him with smiles and thank you’s and “Wow! You’re the best mom ever.”

A girl can dream right?

But no text message came.

Each day that went by I got more and more frustrated by his lack of acknowledgement of my gift. Then I started to wonder if he’d ever even received it. So, I had Art, my non-emotional husband, call because he could simply ask, “Did you get the package from Mom?”

Our son answered, “Oh yeah, I did get a box from Mom, but I haven’t opened it yet.”

Huh?

Who receives a gift of love packaged up and sent to them and doesn’t even take the time to open it?

In that moment I felt the Holy Spirit prick my soul, “Lysa, sometimes you do this very same thing. Oh, if you only knew the number of experiences God Himself has packaged up and sent your way that you didn’t take time to open . . .

Or the number of times God has planted a bunch of wildflowers at the end of your driveway just to make you smile but in the rush of where you were headed, you didn’t notice . . .

Or the number of times God has treasures in His Word waiting for you to uncover that would perfectly prepare you for something you’d be facing that day if only you’d lingered with Him a little longer.”

Psalm 14:2 says, “The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.”

I wish this verse were worded differently. I wish this verse read: “The Lord looks down from heaven to see MANY who understand, MANY who seek God.” But that’s not the reality of the verse. And sadly, sometimes in the rush of all I feel I must do, it’s not the reality of my life.

I want it to be. But my soul is so prone to distractions. Seeking — really seeking — is more than just reading a few verses in the morning and trying to be a good person that day. Seeking requires me to sacrifice the things I feel compelled to chase after so that I can be available to notice God’s clear direction.

Whatever we chase, like it or not, gains our full attention. And I wonder sometimes why I feel a little insecure — a little unsettled — a little disappointed with things I thought would make me so happy. I guess you could say sometimes I get a little homesick.

While I love vacationing here in this world for what I think will be 80 years or so, I know where my real home is and I know Who is waiting for me there.

And now I know He takes time to tie up little care packages from home — a few things I need and a few things He knows will just make me happy.

Then God waits . . . to see . . . if I’ll notice . . . if I’ll remember . . . if today will be the day . . . that I lift up my face . . . pause in the busyness . . . and really seek Him.