Bonnie Gray Christian Blog and Commentary

Act now to share the love of Christ in the Middle East

This Might Sound Crazy: God Actually Loves to Spend Time with You

  • Bonnie Gray

    Bonnie Gray author photoBonnie Gray is a Soul Care Mentor and author of Sweet Like Jasmine and Whispers of Rest. As speaker and podcast host of Breathe: The Stress Less Podcast, Bonnie empowers thousands of lives to flourish…

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  • Updated Jan 27, 2015

This might sound crazy, but God actually loves to spend time with you.

We often worry about how to spend time with God, struggling with how we can reach him. But, what if it was the other way around?

What if God was the one longing for you -- to let Him into your world -- to explore together what it is that moves your heart and feeds your soul?

If we could only believe it -- really believed it enough to try it -- we'd hear His quiet, soft whispers to you. And me.

You are loved.  Cherished.

You're worth it.  just rest.

God intimately resides deep in our hearts and He longs for us to share our hearts with Him.

{Loved -- Whispers of Rest Collection created by RedLetterWords & Me}

Think for a moment. What Jesus once said to believers when the apostle John wrote it down for us. I actually hear Him whispering these words so gently to us today --

 

"Listen! I am standing at the door and knocking.

If you hear my voice and open the door,

I will come into your home and

share a meal with you,

and you with me." Rev.3:20

The door Jesus is standing behind is the doorway to your heart.  And no one can open it except you.

And the home Jesus longs to step into? It's the innermost place where you can just be you. And nothing and no one else.  Where you and I most deeply long for someone to see us. Love us. As is.  To laugh. Cry. Dream. Rest.

To be known.  Isn't that home?

{Rest -- Whispers of Rest Collection}

Sharing a meal with you... what does that mean?  Will you let him into what feeds your soul? What are the things you like to do -- and the things you don't like to do?

Will you dare to let God -- in moments of spiritual whitespace -- refresh your soul with what uniquely refuels you (the most simplest things will do).  And let go of what simply drains you (even the things that appear to be no-brainer to others)?

And you -- share a meal -- with me.  You. with. me. We forget that part.  I forget that part.  

Jesus wants you to share with Him.  Feed your soul with me.  Do you hear His whispers too?

His whispers of rest invite you to rest in the One who calls you His.

{Heart -- Whispers of Rest Collection}

The busyness and stress of other people’s expectations, fear of not being enough and just being on autopilot mode may have overwhelmed our schedules.

But, rest is just one whisper away.

Because Jesus is standing here holding onto us -- longing to wash over and awaken us with rest.  

Maybe all we've ever known to do is to cope.  And make a way for ourselves, with God -- but with our heads.  We've never let soul rest into our hearts. That's okay.  Jesus whispers --

Listen.  Confide.  Draw near.

 
{Listen -- Whispers of Rest Collection}

And He'll never, ever stop whispering to us.  Because we are His. A new journey is beginning.  You can begin anywhere.  Just begin.

The book Finding Spiritual Whitespace: Awakening Your Soul to Rest has transformed my life, as Jesus led me to experience it first hand.

And I know #SpiritualWhitespace will transform yours too.

Together, we'll become the beloved. His Beloved.

 
{Begin -- Whispers of Rest Collection}

~~~~~

How has God been whispering words of rest to you? Pull up a chair. Share a comment below.

Whispers of Rest Art Prints featured in today's post is a new colletion by RedLetterWords and me to inspire  soulful moments with God, to hear His whispers of rest for you.  Each art print features a quote from my book Finding Spiritual Whitespace to inspire echoes of beauty and rest for your soul.

~~~~~

{Today's post is part of Bonnie Gray's Online Spiritual Whitespace {Face}Book Club. It's free!  You can join anytime by simply liking Bonnie's Facebook Page.  Order a copy of her book and grab a journal!  Find out more & read about it here http://www.faithbarista.com/bookclub}

 

By Bonnie Gray. Bonnie is the soulful author of Finding Spiritual Whitespace: Awakening Your Soul To Rest, which has garnered starred review praise from Publisher’s Weekly, named as the Top 6 notable new religion authors.  Bonnie blogs at Faith Barista, serving up shots of faith in the daily grindShe writes for DaySpring (in)courage and her work has been spotlighted by Christianity Today, Relevant, Catalyst Leadership and she's After graduating from UCLA, Bonnie served as a missionary, ministry entrepreneur, and Silicon Valley high-tech professional. She lives in Northern California with her husband, Eric, and their two sons.

For inspiration to create space in your life to breathe, order a copy of Finding Spiritual Whitespace: Awakening Your Soul To Rest, which has garnered starred review praise from Publisher’s Weekly.  This memoir-driven guidebook for rest will nurture your heart to draw closer to God. 

"Whitespace is soul grace. Bonnie Gray ushers weary women into the real possibility." - Ann Voskamp, NY Times bestsellng author of One Thousand Gifts

"If you want to hear Jesus speak more tenderly to your soul than ever befrore, this is the book for you." - Lysa TerKeurst, NY Times bestselling author of Unglued

"We live in a culture that brags and boasts about being busy. Into that reality steps Bonnie with a new idea.
Whitespace is an important concept and Bonnie has captured it perfectly. 
-Jon Acuff,NY  Times bestselling author of Start!

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