Lessons from a cup of Cocoa :-)

So tonight I was going to get in bed super early. I don't have any finals tomorrow, I haven't been sleeping well, and it has just been a long and crazy week. However, I decided to read Heather's new blog post on the Radiant Blog and was pretty convicted about how little quality time I've really been spending with God lately. 

Last night after Christmas on Campus, Matt and I came back to my room. He had to write a paper and I had told him I would make him some hot chocolate to keep him motivated! I spent a ridiculous amount of time on this cup of hot chocolate. I don't know if it is just because I'm super excited about becoming a wifey in 8 days (eek!!!) or what, but I worked so hard on it! I used milk instead of water, which for the record makes waaayyy better hot chocolate, I picked out tons of extra marshmallows, because I know those are his favorite. Basically, this was going to be the best cup of hot chocolate ever! In my excitement, I didn't realize how HUGE this cup of hot chocolate was though. And then, Matt realized he didn't have what he needed to write his paper, so he took a few sips of it and headed home. (Time out to say, I am in no way writing this blog to say anything about Matt not drinking my hot chocolate, lol) I wasn't mad at Matt for not drinking the hot chocolate I had made him, but I was sad that I had put so much effort into making it in hopes that we could take a few minutes out of this crazy week and spend time with each other while he drank it. 

Then, I realized that is exactly what I have been doing with my Jesus time these past few weeks. I have been so busy that I've been just taking a few sips to appease Him, but not really spending any quality time with Him. I will read a chapter or two and then check that off the checklist for today, never really getting anything out of it, never REALLY spending time with the Savior. I imagine that it makes Him sad too. He prepares a lesson or word of encouragement for me and then I just take the first few words of it because I'm too busy to sit and spend time with Him. 

There are a lot of big changes coming in my life. I'm about to become a wife. Matt and I have a lot of big ministry opportunities coming next semester, one being the Radiant Women's ministry I am so blessed to be involved in. Now is not a good time to be ignoring the lessons God wants to teach me(not that any time ever is a good time to do that) 

It is easy to make excuses. We all get busy with stuff. Sometimes, it isn't even bad stuff! For me right now, its school and a wedding and preparations for our future lives. I would say this is really good stuff, but I can't let God get pushed to the side in the process. He can NEVER become an afterthought. Spending time with him isn't just some task to mark off the checklist, its an honor and a priveledge that I so often take for granted. 

This  also reminded me of a verse...

Revelation 3:20 

"Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends." 

Most of the time, this verse is used to talk about people's original salvation, but I believe salvation is a process, and sometimes, we have to remember to open the door and let God in again. It's easy to fill our hearts with so much other stuff, that somehow, He gets pushed outside because its just too crowded for Him. He is a gentleman, He won't come where He isn't invited. He will just stand at the door and knock, ready to sit and have a cup of hot chocolate with us :-) 

Let's not keep Him waiting....