Seeking Approval

"with an artistic design"

Exodus 26:31

I was watching one of those home improvement shows on TV last week.  It was a girl, about 14, who was having her bedroom re-done.   It was a pretty fancy bedroom ~ I think it was bigger than mine.  It had not just room for her bed, but a little sitting area as well.  A place for a desk, but also a few chairs and a sofa.  Yes, a sofa!

But in their defense, it was in Texas, and everything's bigger in Texas...

They showed the girl working directly with the decorator, talking about her favorite things in life, and what colors she likes and what her fashion sense is like, so that all that could be incorporated into the design of the room.  She was a very mature-sounding girl, and the resulting bedroom was a wonderful design that would last her probably as long as she was in the house.  Nothing little girl-y, but fun and sophisticated all at the same time. 

And when the room was done, and it was time for the reveal, the girl walked into the room where the decorator was waiting for her, with a "ta daa!" or something similar.  The girl, of course, was so pleased.   She took a look at the overall, and then rushed the decorator to hug her.   Then the decorator spent the next few minutes showing her all the little details in the room, pointing here and there, and the girl was really just trying to take it all in.  And she had this eyes-wide, mouth-agape look the whole time, as her head whipped back and forth, from this side to that.

But in-between all the side-to-side her head was doing, she kept looking back at her mother, who was standing behind her, eyes equally wide, and mouth similarly agape.  It was so sweet.  It was as if she was looking to see if the room met with the mom's approval, or that she just wanted to see her mother's reaction to everything she was reacting to. 

I just loved that even though she was thankful to the decorator for all she had done, the girl hadn't forgotten her mother.  Clearly, her mom was important to her, and she was eager to share her excitement with her.   In a moment where it could have been all about her, she was including someone else.

I want to be like this with God.  Years ago, a friend of mine took over a new role in a ministry we were both involved in.  She was the director, so once everyone got going in their jobs for the day, she didn't really need to do anything but be available, and put out any fires.  And she told me once that sometimes when she was wandering the halls to make sure no one needed anything, she would pray a very simple question:  "Lord, is this what You want it to look like?"

I thought ~ and think ~ that is so beautiful.  It is sincere; it is wanting to walk with Him, not off in a different direction. 

Now, of course, you can't just jump into something; you can't just take a path in life and then occasionally ask Him, "Are You with me?"  We have to seek His will before we take any steps.   But sometimes we do that, and then rush headlong down the path we think He has indicated, without stopping to see if there are supposed to be any turns, tangents, or speed bumps He wants us to know about.

He is right by our sides, wanting to share, wanting to be consulted, wanting to guide.  He's right there.

~ "with us, is the Lord our God,

to help us and to fight our battles" ~

2 Chronicles 32:8

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