Waxing & Waning to the Rhythm of Life

image credit:  http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2681/4228573741_f915ecf81c_o.jpg

It is nearly 1 am, Monday, February 10, 2014.  After my time of prayer, devotions and sitting silently in the presence of the Lord, I was ready to turn the light off and go to bed.  No sooner than I turned the light off, my attention was drawn to my window where light was coming in.  In the darkness, I was stumbling and feeling my way around my bedroom to get to the window.  I believed I knew where the light was coming from, but I just had to see if my self.  Sure enough, it was light radiating from the moon.  I pushed back my window sheer and stood there in awe. 

As early as I can remember, I always had a fascination with the night sky, the stars and the moon.  The moon is a feminine energy so maybe that is my pull and draw to the moon.  When I was a kid, I remember in the summer time going outside in my pajamas with a blanket.  I would lie under the night sky looking up at the stars and moon.  I would try to figure out the constellations and just lie there relaxing, wondering and dreaming of what could be.

I got tired of standing at the window and decided to lie down on my back comfortably and meditate upon the night sky, the stars, and the moon.  I wanted to reflect on what was being evoked within me.  I invited the Holy Spirit in to my presence asking what may be revealed to me during this time.  There is only three feet between my bed and the wall where the window is facing out toward the moon.  Yes, I crouched down, maneuvered myself into this space into a position flat on my back with my legs crossed Indian style resting them up on my wall.  I know this doesn't sound too comfortable, but it actually was.

As I laid there asking God to reveal to me the significance of the night sky, the stars and the moon in my waking life, I was amazed at what was revealed to me.  The dark night sky is vast with things seen and unseen.  We can't even begin to comprehend how far reaching God's sky, heaven and galaxies are.  There are things in the sky that we can't see with the naked eye.  There are things still undiscovered despite our advances with technology.  God revealed to me that the night sky is just like our souls.  There are things at the inner depths of our souls that are still undiscovered, unseen and never experienced yet.  It is there waiting to be discovered, revealed and in divine union with God.

Then the stars, some are bright, some faint, and some even unseen.  The stars are similar to our spiritual gifts that God has equipped us with.  Some of our spiritual gifts are manifest or dominate, some are latent gifts that we don't utilize often while others have not been recognized or acknowledged yet.  I have done several tests that help you determine what your manifest and latent gifts are.  The beauty is, there are more hidden gifts that God wants to reveal to us so that we can experience Him and our life here on earth in a more life giving way. 

Lastly, the moon!  Aww the moon!  I get warm and fuzzies even mentioning the moon.  The moon would be similar to us "I" or the true self.  Just like the moon that waxes and wanes, so does the "I".  Each night, week, month, season, and even at certain times of the year, the moon is waxing and waning with the rhythms of life.  The important message of the "I" waxing and waning is the personal question to yourself, "Am I being true to myself "I", and who God created me to be and do?"  Do "I" know who I am in Christ so that no matter what moon phase "I" am experiencing, am I responding to the rhythms of life, no matter what they may be, in a life giving way?  The night sky, the stars and the moon don't resist God's natural order.  "I" too need to live my life just like the night sky, stars, and moon waxing and waning in total abandonment and submission to God's order for my life.  When "I" am being true to myself, self-love can be experienced which overflows into others.

I personally can often overlook God's natural order of waxing and waning with the rhythm of life because my flesh of knowing, wanting and desiring can get in the way or even disrupt this rhythm.  You ask me how can I be sure of this?  I can say that as I sat in this position meditating, I trembled internally knowing that the Holy Spirit was upon me and revealed this to me.  The Holy Spirit is inviting us to surrender and submit to God's natural order for the waxing and waning in our life.  Yes, this can be and is an uncomfortable place to be.  Why?  Because in our flesh, we don't like to give up control, we don't like the unknown, we like to be who we want to be and sadly we care more of what others think of us instead of what God thinks of us.  We just try to fit in with the next new fad, social group or event.  The Holy Spirit is inviting us to submit ourselves, our day, trials, burdens and order to the waxing and waning of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit wants to lead and guide us in the way that we should go revealing to us who we are in Christ. 

How does one find this experience?  It begins by earnestly seeking to encounter the Holy Spirit.  Find a space to sit in the silence, deny yourself of flesh desires, submit to God's will, be in solitude and even experience loneliness.   Yes, it may seem that we may be walking against the way of the world, and we are, but there is no desire here on earth worth more than the eternal glory that we will experience at the right hand of our Heavenly Father. 

This work that we commit to now here on earth is only a stepping stone in preparing our souls for this glorious experience in heaven.  I wonder if we will be ready for it?  It is my prayer that we all will be ready for it.  In God's grip and peace!