I don’t worship nature. I do worship God, though, and he made and uses nature to reveal his character to me. A sunset is God’s creativity, a painting unveiled just for me. A summer breeze is his tender touch, reminding me that he’s all around me even though I can’t see him. The sun warms me with his kindness.
JESUS, I MISS YOU: 28 Days of Reconnecting with Your First Love, by Sara Kehler
It’s no surprise then that some of my most intimate prayer times have taken place on my backyard patio, outside in his nature. In fact, I remember a gorgeous spring day when I felt so enamoured by the love of God that I wrote him a poem of gratitude—and I, being not a poet at all, felt God’s pleasure. He understood my prayer. All was well.
How easy it seemed, in that moment, just to call on him, to thank him and praise him.
How difficult it was, just one year later, to simply find him. And let me tell you, I was in no mood to write a love poem.
After a long winter, discouragement set in when flurries in April kept me from my springtime patio. I felt lonely and barren. My spirit dragged. Desperate for connection, I needed God to reach down and touch me.
So where was he?
The story above happened years ago. In my book JESUS, I MISS YOU: 28 Days of Reconnecting with Your First Love, I share how God did indeed reach down and touch me. He met me on the patio, bringing prayer and connection to my heart in a surprising way. I’d like to tell you that, ever since that day, I’ve never struggled with feeling disconnected again, but that would be lying. The truth is that I’ve been there before and I’ll be there again.
Just a few months ago, I felt as if, emotionally and spiritually, I was back on that patio, listening to praise music, trying to connect with Jesus but without success. I was missing Jesus again.
Struggling through another dry season, I felt like a hypocrite. How dare I write a book about reconnecting with Jesus when I’m right back here again? God reminded me that Satan is a liar. I’m not a hypocrite. I’m human.
The purpose of my book isn’t to provide a formula for becoming impervious to life’s struggles. The book is meant to provide encouragement and tools to all who want to draw near to Jesus yet can’t seem to find him. It offers biblical principles to follow in all seasons, on the mountain top of joy and the valley of lows. It is a breath of fresh air to the Christian woman who knows she needs Jesus and won’t settle for lukewarm love.
Lately, I’ve been attempting to reshape my life by practicing healthier habits. Call it a mid-fourties crisis, if you will. The Martha in me worries over all the “healthy” tasks that must be done in so little time, and I wonder how Jesus and I fit together in this reshaping. The Mary in me reminds me that this fitting together is non-negotiable, and I remember that Jesus’s feet is where I find true life.
This Jesus, I need him every day, every hour, every breath.
So I change course yet again. Back to the basics. Back to the biblical principles that God promises will draw me near to his heart and change our relationship forever. Back to the tools I’ve learned and shared in my book, JESUS, I MISS YOU: 28 Days of Reconnecting with Your First Love.
I hope you’ll join me on this journey.
With love,
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