Adore. A word that is a verb, which means that there is action involved. The formal definition of the verb adore is very simple. Adore means to love and respect - even worship someone deeply. This week, I was reminded to take time to Adore Him.
We love Christmas time in our house. We love remembering and praising God for sending His Son for us. We love putting up our Christmas tree and having the house smell of pine and cinnamon. We enjoy Christmas movies and hot chocolate. We have wassail simmering in slow cookers and attend tons of Christmas parties. We enjoy winter break where we have made it a practice to be on vacation - even when we are at home. Daddy takes off of work, and we just enjoy each other from morning until evening. It's just a special time of year for our family.
A week or so ago, my husband shared with me how he was feeling overwhelmed by God's love to us in the gift of Jesus. While I know and share in this feeling year round, at this particular moment, in the secret places of my heart, I had to admit that I wasn't feeling that. In the craziness that is our everyday schedule mixed with the hustle and bustle that this time of year tends to bring, plus a battle with cluster headaches and migraines this month, I found myself feeling distant & while I wouldn't use the word "unmoved", it was close to "slightly moved".
I had a few moments of alone time one morning this week and I chose to spend them with Jesus. Sitting in my floor reading, praying, and listening. I began singing in my worship time alone and the song I was singing turned into "Oh, Come Let Us Adore Him...". This was not the song that I had picked or had wanted to sing, but it was in my heart at this moment. The Holy Spirit was speaking, calling me to spend time adoring my Savior.
I began to recall things that I have heard about adoration and closeness. I considered how much I adore my husband. Across from him in a crowded room, our eyes will meet almost as if they are drawn to each other. When I know he is near, but away from me, I am seeking Him. I experience this almost every Sunday morning. Scanning a congregation until our eyes lock, and a sense of peace sets in. There he is. The missing part of me. He is near and I know it because I can see him. I considered how when we are close our breathing even matches without any effort on our parts. It is an automatic response. Have you noticed that? Have you ever purposefully tried to breathe differently in that moment? It takes effort and it is uncomfortable.
There in that moment I began to pray. Jesus, I don't want to just say that I love you, I want to adore You. I want this adoration to grow and grow to the point that I am uncomfortable with the thought that you are near, but I cannot see You. I want to always be seeking You. Don't let me feel satisfied until my eyes are locked on You. I want You to invade all of the space between us until we are so close that my heartbeat matches yours. I want to breathe in time with You and hear from heaven...
O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!
