Extravagance!

Buddy? Pal? Friend? How do you describe your relationship with God? Is he just one of the "guys" that you can talk to about anything; you just can't see him? Or is he Father, Lord, Jehovah? You view him as a very distant, very stern figure that you keep at arm's length. How about Creator, Holy One, God Almighty? He's a fall-on-your-knees, shiver-in-your-boots, tremble-at-his-name power source.

My relationship with God spans all three. To me, the Trinity makes perfect sense because I view God in three separate, but equally amazing ways. Jesus (God the Son) is my go-to guy. He knows what it's like to be human. He did it for over thirty years, so I can talk to him about anything. And in the end, he laid down his life for me! An undeserved, unbelievable sacrifice. God the Father commands my reverence. He gets angry. He shakes mountains. Yet he gives unconditional love. And the Holy Spirit? He's given me goose bumps, dropped me to my knees and brought tears to my eyes more times than I can count.

I wonder why it is then, that I tend to limit God. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because I don't think I'm deserving of his attention. Maybe I don't trust him. Maybe I think he's too busy to deal with my petty problems. I can't put my finger on it. Sometimes, I think I expect God to be stingy. Sometimes, I think this is what I expect from God:

Plain and simple, I expect something I can handle. Small. A nice gift. Maybe just what I ask for. Certainly nothing extravagant. 

But God, I've found, has other plans. He loves to bestow blessings. He is generous. Extravagant. I love that word...extravagant. Something that I don't believe I deserve, but something that God loves to surprise me with. Extravagance. Time and time again, he reminds me. It's nothing I do to deserve it. It is his gift. I just need to accept it. Incredibly, this is what God gives me:

Something amazing. Something so big, I can't wrap my arms around it!

Ephesians 3:20-21:

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

Be amazed. Be astounded. Accept his extravagance! To God be the glory! AMEN!