the pursuit channel

This morning I woke at 4:30 for my morning run, did some chores around the house, kissed my hubby before he went off to work and then realized none of my children were awake.  This is a rare occasion around here.  I thought about getting a few more miles in on the treadmill, maybe finishing painting our bathroom, doing some work for the 5K race we have coming up, prepping for our homeschool year and finally decided that about the moment I opened the paint can the baby would probably wake up. So I opted for the treadmill, completed a few miles and they still were not awake.  I looked over to my couch in front of our big picture window, grabbed a cozy blanket, my daily devotional that I’m a week behind on and began reading, until…I saw the hummingbirds!

I love hummingbirds.  We get several each year and I used to spend what seemed like hours watching them with my grandmother.  I could write a book about my memories of her. Such a strong amazing woman, I often wish I could run over to her house and ask her questions about cooking, parenting, the Bible, just everything! Okay, back on track.  I have been bummed we haven’t seen any hummingbirds yet this year and last night I put a new batch of food in their feeder and finally we have them.  So, I sat on the couch, tucked my feet under my yellow lab, read and watched the hummingbirds.  It was a great way to start my day.

One of the devotionals I read was about how our Savior is in pursuit of us.  I’ve gotta tell you I’ve always had trouble understanding that concept.  It’s not because I don’t believe that Jesus wants all his children to know Him and love Him.  But let me tell you what images I have in my head about pursuit.  I’m married to an avid deer hunter.  Is there a word that means more dedicated than avid? Because if there is, that would be him.  Obsessed? That’s it! Ha! To me, pursuit is hunting something down. When we were dating we spent several hours watching the pursuit channel; all these men and women spending their lives figuring out the best way to kill a big buck.  And actually, not even deer hunting, because in that situation they are usually sitting in a tree.  One time my husband told me a story of someone who saw an animal who was suffering horribly and he chased it down and tackled it to put it out of it’s misery.  That’s pursuit. I”m not hating on deer hunters here, I’ve been deer hunting before, if that’s your thing go for it, but to me, Jesus doesn’t have to do all that work to know us.  For goodness sakes He created us.  And when I consider my own children, we don’t pursue them, we are just there, always present, always there for them.  If they fall we pick them up.  We love them, we cherish them, they are ours.

So I guess that’s my perspective on the whole “pursuit” thing.  Maybe I’m more of a Footprints in the Sand kinda girl. I was blessed to grow up in the church so I always knew I was loved by God and Jesus was a part of my life.  That doesn’t mean there weren’t many difficult times throughout my life.  But I don’t have that big, exciting story.  That, I was here and then all of a sudden, BAM I changed story.  I would bet if that was my story I could relate more to the pursuit.  And PS if you’re that person, I love you’re story and I love hearing it and I love that you have it and I don’t think it’s any less valid than mine 🙂 Even in the darkest most horrible few years of my life, I remember being very angry at what was going on and the situation my family was in.  But there was no doubt in my mind that as I sat on my bed crying and praying that Jesus was sitting there with me.  Maybe there are 2 kinds of stories, maybe more…maybe there are Footprints stories and Pursuit stories.  People who have lives that were drastically changed when they began their relationship with Jesus and then there are people who have just kinda always known Him through the ups and downs of life and every once in awhile He’s had to pick us up for a little bit.

I think I’m cool with that….I’m more of a beach girl anyway 😉

Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you.  I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

Isaiah 46:4

I would love to hear your stories of how your life has been, do you relate to the pursuit? Or has your life been more like the footprints poem? Or a mix?!