The Beauty of God’s Dwelling

 “How lovely is your dwelling place…” 

Psalm 84:1

Often, as a mother of six children I long for quiet in my home. I do not always want to escape to a cabin in the mountains or a condo on the beach. I just want to be at home, alone. I guess I always sense that it will fill me up, and it’s true. I’m an introvert who finds solace by spending time alone creating or reading or cooking. But over the years as I have grown in my faith what I know to be the most true thing is that God’s presence is our deepest longing. And the ways He chooses to meet those longings are vast and lovely.

We are farmers. That seems odd and miraculous to see written in black and white. What an incredible journey to this place. Almost a decade ago, we found ourselves here on an ancestral piece of land in East Tennessee. His presence is here, too…and we had no idea.

Before we left the church, I used to think His presence was only inside the four walls of the building. And when all of it fell apart and tongues wagged about our leaving and there was no worship service to “lead us into His presence”, I found God on the tractor and in the barn. Actually, I found Him everywhere. He cannot be contained. 

His presence. It’s what we’ve been looking for since the garden when we walked with Him. Since the time that Evil convinced Eve that she was a victim because God was withholding truth from her. 

Really, here’s the wrestle…we still believe we are the victim of something that He’s withholding. That His presence is never enough so we keep looking. We made the cheap exchange of truth over trust, and we have been paying for it ever since. And now we know the truth, and it has destroyed us while affirming our victimhood.

But His presence. It changes everything. Absolutely. Everything. 

I love the little Anglican church we call our spiritual home nowadays. It has brought healing beyond anything I could imagine, but I no longer sense Him the most inside our parish ~ but milking my goats or cooking for my family or crying with my friend over our prodigal children or dancing with my granddaughter at a wedding.

He is everywhere and He is right here.

If you have chosen knowing the truth over trust in relation to God...here's an invitation to Trust Him. Trust Him and rest in His presence. It really is our deepest longing and one He wants to meet.