Experience Life, Experience God

"The more of life we experience, the more of God we will know."  - me

When I was barely 20, I spoke those words.  I could not have known what I was talking about since I hadn't lived much and certainly hadn't had very many opportunities to experience a wide range of places, people, cultures, or ideologies. But there was a conviction deep within my spirit even then, that experiencing more of the world, life, and people would lead me into deep places in the heart of God that I could find no other way.

Today, I stand by this 100%.  With every new adventure, culture, experience, food, person, idea that I behold, I experience more of the Living God.  This week, I was invited to experience Hobie sailing and stand up paddle boarding. Within the first few minutes of my crash course lesson in sailing, I knew this was going to be rich with insight about Spirit and life and the beauty of God.

My favorite insight of the day was allowing myself to feel the wind and the water.  The last several years have been a journey of trusting when and where and how I sense Spirit movement.  When I was on the boat, trusting my sense of what the wind was doing and how it would shift, I would move beautifully and quickly through the water. I could never stay moving in one direction very long, as the wind on Kaweah Lake varies greatly. I was ready to shift direction the moment I could sense the wind do so. It was exhilarating.

When I was on the paddle board, I let my body feel the movement of the water under me. I was able to be steady in my core, stand firm on the board and stay above water.  It wasn't about what I knew or how often I'd done these things.  It was simply about sensing the wind and the water and trusting the way I felt these powerful elements moving under and around me. I could trust my judgments of the wind and water and adjust my boat, body, paddle, or sail accordingly.  I loved every single minute of that day.

I am full of thankfulness to those who invite me into new experiences.  With every one, God becomes more beautiful, I become more alive, and his glory radiates just a little more brightly through this jar of clay.