Enjoying God

I have to admit, enjoying God is not a concept I am really familiar with.  It's just not something that I think about doing.  Worshiping, thanking, praising, petitioning, all those are frequent flyers in my head, along with complaining, blaming and throwing tantrums at (all to frequent visitors), but enjoying?

     Enjoy Me.

     Just these two words He spoke changed my life, "Enjoy Me."

     What a burden I thought I was to carry--a crucifix, as did He.
   
     Love once said to me, "I know a song, would you like to hear it?"

     And laughter came from every brick in the street and from every pore in the            sky,

     After a night of prayer, He changed my life when He sang, "Enjoy Me."

                                                                             Teresa of Avila

This is the poem including in the book "One Thousand Gifts."  It was an amazing moment when I read this....a mind altering, spirit awakening moment, when I realized I had never sought to do this.  I think of all the things, the people we enjoy.  Fellowship with family, friends, after church, holidays, gatherings of all kinds.  Fun and laughter.  Even the comfort of loving individuals when they cry with us, commiserate during our difficult seasons.  Sports, reading books, walking on the beach, beautiful days, a good movie, a thousand things that hold our interest and bring us pleasure....but enjoying God?  What a concept!!  LOL  I mean, if we are to spend eternity with this Being, wouldn't it do us well to enjoy His presence, to delight in being with Him?

So I realized, I don't know how to do this.  How do I enjoy You Lord?  It's not like I can see You, touch You.  I don't understand this notion, let alone how to begin to practice it.

Sooooo, two mornings ago I was off on another run.  Listening to Joyce, stopping at the grocery store for a couple of things on the way home, walking the last leg with my flimsy bags, (didn't want them to break with the jostling running would have caused).  I love my Stop and Shop, but their bags are the worst!!  The day was one of those perfect fall days, sunshiny, crystal clear, bluest of blue skies, birdsong, slight breeze cooling my runners face and then it hit me...It was a gift to be counted this day.  This run.  This sunshine and breeze, birds singing and color all around me.  And this was enjoying my Creator.  This was His heart....the beautiful day, me in it, a gift to me.  As I enjoy the gift I learn the Givers heart, and I enjoy Him!!  I can enjoy God!!  Everything I praise Him for, thank Him for, is part of enjoying Him.  Wow.  I get it.  Cool!!

I love it.  I want to learn it.  To do it.  I want this enjoying of You Lord to become the most natural thing to me.  I know it will be easier to do in the good things, the pleasurable blessings and the smooth sailing, blue skies kind of times.  But I also know it will be something that must be done in the hard, tear filled days.  That is definitely going to take a lot more practice!! And a lot of help from You Lord!!

Psalm 34:7a "Delight yourself also in the Lord.....

If the Lord is singing over His creation, and that includes me and you, delighting over us, shouldn't we also delight in and enjoy Him?  I want this !!!  And I believe it is something God wants too.  Something that would bring Him great pleasure and make Him sing!!  What person wouldn't want people to enjoy being with them. What person would want it to be a drudgery to be around them? A duty or obligation.  Oh how His heart must ache for us to understand this.  Lord, forgive me for not realizing this sooner.

Lord, I want this.  I want to enjoy You.  Teach me.