Run to Jesus

It happened suddenly; this blonde haired five-year-old bundle of energy ran across the church lobby to his Nana and threw his arms around my legs hugging me. Talk about joy.

This is one of the delightful benefits of attending church with our middle daughter, her husband and our 3 grandchildren. Sometimes we are in the same service, and sometimes not, but either way, special hugs and kisses from those kids are a wonderful bonus.

That got me thinking about when we all pass from this earth, and how I plan to run to Jesus. I want to run just like my grandson Anderson, who at his young age has such energy and spontaneous joy. He looked around and saw his Nana and Poppa and took off running in our direction, he didn’t even have to think about what he was doing. He just did what his emotions led him to do.

Okay, in my mind I wonder if maybe there will be a line in heaven. I speculate when we arrive, we will all want a hug from Jesus. I know I do, and I don’t want a formal handshake; I want a welcome home hug and some close personal time with our Lord. The kind of intimacy, you shared with your child or grandchild when they were little, and they snuggled up beside you on the couch, sharing that special conversation.

How do you have a close intimate relationship with anyone? You get to know them by spending time together and making that relationship important. This applies to not only time with people here on earth, but also with our heavenly Father, his son Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

Whatever is important in your life, you will make a priority.

The image in my mind of running to Jesus paints a picture of abandon and intimacy. Yes, I run to him when I’m afraid, worried or stressed. But do I remember to also go to him when I’m overflowing with happiness and joy? Little children are so free, because they have no worries or hangups like those we acquire growing into adulthood. They just enjoy everyday life.

How do we get to that place?

I have recently returned to an old habit of setting my alarm for 30 minutes every morning to do my bible reading. This habit is life changing. Just like setting an alarm for writing every day, it completely changes your focus. Some people I know are just so disciplined that this habit is engrained in their very being. Their quiet time with Jesus every morning is who they are. I’ve never been that disciplined. Studies say it takes 21 days to develop a habit, so that’s what I’m aiming for.

Ultimately my goal is to always be running to Jesus. I want to be just like my grandson, overflowing with excitement eager to see his face, longing for his embrace, wanting to sit at his feet and listen to his words. No, I don’t have it all figured out and I’m not sure anyone else does either. But we the church need to be running to Jesus.