Wait, seriously?

When I was in college, I loathed Mondays and Wednesdays in the mornings. Monday meant the weekend was over, and Wednesday meant the week was only half over. That's all I could focus on when my alarm clock woke me up.

But I loved Monday and Wednesday nights in college. Monday nights we had our weekly sorority meeting. While I didn't enjoy wearing girly clothes or the business stuff, I loved sitting in the living room of our sorority house worshipping God together and then praying on the front porch with my sisters. Seriously, Monday nights were awesome. Wednesday nights I played basketball with my dad. While we didn't keep score, we sure had a lot of laughs with the other guys. I loved being able to go out and run around and play ball with my Dad. And afterwards, he'd take me out to eat. Wednesday nights were awesome.

But I'm not in college anymore and I have a job and I live in the middle of nowhere. What could be so great about Mondays and Wednesdays?

I'll start with Wednesday. Wednesday is Bible study night. Every week, I hope on Skype with my Bible and hang out with 6 other English teachers in Japan. We hang out, we talk, we pray, we study, we laugh. It's good times. It is fellowship in the strangest but simplest way possible. And I love Wednesdays because I get to fellowship with other believers. And it's pretty sweet.

So Mondays. Monday is my Sabbath. I know, the Sabbath is usually Sunday, or if you're Jewish, it's Saturday. But I found having my Sabbath on Sunday doesn't work. Mostly because I have an hour drive to town to go to church and an hour drive back home. Since I'm in town, I go to the store and get my groceries and shopping done. Usually I grab dinner with the other English teachers, and I get home and need to get things ready for the week. Sunday is not an ideal Sabbath. So I decided my Sabbath would be on Monday. When I get home from work on Monday, there is no TV, no Internet, and no cell phone. It's a chance for God and I to hang out without any distractions. I look at my Sabbath like a date night with God. A night devoted to our relationship. A night to enjoy God. Usually I read and journal. Once in a while I bust out the markers and colored pencils and doodle all night. Rarely I bring out the guitar. But most weeks, it's just my Kindle and my journal.

So, I'll be honest. Last night, I spent most of the evening ignoring God. I sat in my house eating dinner ignoring God. I washed the dishes ignoring God. I jumped in the shower ignoring God. I even made an oatmeal face scrub so I could have another reason to ignore God. I sat on my couch with oatmeal stuck to my face ignoring God. Finally I ran out of things to do.

So I sat on the couch with my closed Bible and journal.

Wait, seriously?

What?

It's our date night, and you've tried so hard to ignore Me.

I don't trust You. If we're honest, we both know I don't.

Why are you afraid to trust Me?

I trust You for my salvation but not tomorrow.

Wait, seriously?

I'm afraid of what You'll ask me to give up next.

Wait, seriously?

It's been a over a year since I left LA. I'm still single. I still have no career path. I still don't have a goal. And I'm still in the middle of nowhere.

Wait, seriously?

God, I think a lot of times I'm afraid to take You seriously.

Wait, seriously?

Because taking You seriously means my life must change.

He got me. If I seriously take God at His Word, I would have no problem trusting Him with tomorrow. Right now, my life is comfortable; I don't need to trust God. But I know life as I know it could change in the blink of an eye. I know that God is the only One who will not change...ever. But my eyes are so focused on ME that I can't see Him, and when I can't see Him I act as if He's not there. And if I really take God seriously, my life needs serious change.

Do you take God seriously?