“What comes to our mind when we think about

God is the most important thing about us.” 

~ AW Tozer

So this has been my prayer lately, and especially what’s been on my mind this Easter; May I actually know you God, not just facts about you. 

I can tell you facts about a friend, their hair color, age, etc. but that doesn’t mean you know who they are....For example my friend and teammate here on the race, Kelsey Corns, has brown wavy hair, greenish hazel eyes, and is 5 feet and 4 inches tall. Yes, those are true facts about her. Those facts really don’t tell you anything about her character or what she’s passionate about but get to know her heart and you will discover one of the most kind, joyful, laughter filled, neat, tidy, wise, intelligent, truth seeking, cereal munching, coffee loving, picture taking, writers you will every meet! 

I think there have been many times when I’ve talked about God and it’s strictly factual. It’s all good and true, however, it’s not really a reflection of a deep, intimate friendship.

Here in Chichi, Guatemala they do this ceremony at Easter to “earn the love of the Father” or simply out of tradition. Dawning their best clothes, they carry this giant statue of Jesus through the town for hours while walking over intricately poured, colorful designs made of sand on the ground. They feel that to be forgiven they have to perform. That is not who God is. That is not what it’s like to receive a gift from someone who loves you dearly. We are not expected to repay the Lord’s sacrifice for us. There’s nothing we can do to repay it even if we want to. 

Recently I paid for a friends meal for their birthday. When the check came out and I said “I got it”, I was honestly, probably a little too over excited to do this for them. I wanted to do something, even if it was a small thing, to show them that they are valuable and appreciated. I owned this friend a few dollars and when I payed for the meal they said “alright I’ll subtract this from you debt”. I found myself feeling almost offended. “It’s a gift” I said. “That’s not how gifts work.” Gifts are free. I wanted them to accept it because I care about them, not because I wanted to try to settle a debt. 

It made me wonder; how does the Lord feel when we do things like celebrating Easter out of a place of tradition or obligation? Does He feel offended that We don’t truly know His heart behind the gift of His sacrifice? Are we just trying to repay a debt instead of accepting the love He wants to pour out on us?

So I’m praying this over my family, my teammates, my friends and myself; I pray that we are all in Awe of you Jesus. That we truly have a deep, intimate friendship with you. Let your Word permeate our hearts and change everything till you are all that matters. May we encounter your heart and the truth of who you are at your core, not just know the facts. 

Check out this video of our Easter celebration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRaF7q4j2kc