Far reaching


B: to pick up and draw toward one:
D (1): ENCOMPASS (2): to make an impression on


I am tough to reach when I am at work. Not because I work in a high-level capacity, but rather, because I wear my MP3 player while I clean the church. I started wearing the headphones a few months ago. I told myself it was because I did not enjoy the quietness, and the monotony of my job. However, I had another motive.

I am not very good at small talk. The pleasantries, you know, like, “How’s it going today?” and, “Boy it’s hot out,” make me uncomfortable. I know they’re going to pop up daily, I’m prepared for them, but I still make the most inane comments, “oh, hanging in there,” or, “good day to be indoors.” And, more often than not, I trip over some part of the inane comment and I feel like an idiot.

It’s gotten worse since my hospital stay. I never got used to people inquiring as to my health status. It happened just today. A lady asked me how I was feeling. She gave me a big hug. I said the standard, “yep, it was touch and go there for awhile.” Walked away from that interaction feeling like an idiot. But I made sure I said ‘thanks’ as I walked away.

Please don’t understand. I love the people I work with and who I interact with from the church. For the most part they are God-loving people with good intentions. I just can’t work with the small banter conversations.

Thus the headphones. I believe I used them to protect myself from feeling like an idiot, and I protect them from uncomfortable inanities. We both win. Right?

I find myself guilty of doing the same thing with Jesus. I feel inept, and so I cut off conversation. I surround myself with television, radio, books, anything to distract myself. Why?

I fear that I too often shut myself in my cocoon and I forget that God is trying to reach me all the time. I shut the door with my symbolic headphones and I forget He is in control, He knows the end of the story, the end of all our stories. I forget that I don’t have to worry about things for Him. He tries to tell me that He loves me with an everlasting love. He tries to remind me that I am His child, and that He was the one who reached for my hand first, and He got exactly what He was bargaining for.

This Psalm sums it all up for me. He reaches for us. All we have to do is take our headphones off and look around us. Feel the warmth of His arms around us. See, he’s not looking to have pleasant conversation with us. He’s looking to be the lover of our soul. He’s looking to tell us who we are in Him. Maybe I should try and listen.

Psalm 19
A David Psalm
1-2 God's glory is on tour in the skies,
God-craft on exhibit across the horizon.
Madame Day holds classes every morning,
Professor Night lectures each evening.

3-4 Their words aren't heard,
their voices aren't recorded,
But their silence fills the earth:
unspoken truth is spoken everywhere.

4-5 God makes a huge dome
for the sun—a superdome!
The morning sun's a new husband
leaping from his honeymoon bed,
The daybreaking sun an athlete
racing to the tape.

6 That's how God's Word vaults across the skies
from sunrise to sunset,
Melting ice, scorching deserts,
warming hearts to faith.

7-9 The revelation of God is whole
and pulls our lives together.
The signposts of God are clear
and point out the right road.
The life-maps of God are right,
showing the way to joy.
The directions of God are plain
and easy on the eyes.
God's reputation is twenty-four-carat gold,
with a lifetime guarantee.
The decisions of God are accurate
down to the nth degree.

10 God's Word is better than a diamond,
better than a diamond set between emeralds.
You'll like it better than strawberries in spring,
better than red, ripe strawberries.

11-14 There's more: God's Word warns us of danger
and directs us to hidden treasure.
Otherwise how will we find our way?
Or know when we play the fool?
Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!
Keep me from stupid sins,
from thinking I can take over your work;
Then I can start this day sun-washed,
scrubbed clean of the grime of sin.
These are the words in my mouth;
these are what I chew on and pray.
Accept them when I place them
on the morning altar,
O God, my Altar-Rock,
God, Priest-of-My-Altar.