Love The Lord Your God With All Your Heart

I woke up around 5:30 this particular morning and I had to take this photo! It is a photo of the moon above Toronto seen through my bedroom window. I love the red shade in the curtain, the ceiling, and my table lamp. My alarm clock says “5:49”, and that’s because I spent 20 min in the balcony listening to the birds, watching the moon, but mostly taking photos. I even took a 30 seconds long video of the birds chirping (He he! I learned the word “chirp” from Dr. Stanley!) . But it is this photo, taken from inside, that captivated me mostly.

This photo reminds me of certain times. You see when I go to crowded places for a prolonged period of time, I like to take few minutes to be alone with God. I’ve never told this to anybody because the people who know me, think that I hate crowds and that’s why I sometimes go sit by myself in a quiet place, some of them think I am boring, or anti-social, and they could be correct to a certain degree. If you are reading this, know that I am sharing something with you that nobody else knows except God.

Mainly I like to refocus my attention to God, because being around a crowd of people sometimes throws my spiritual balance away. I start saying things I usually never say, or act in a certain way that I know I shouldn’t act. I usually go outside, sit on a brick or the edge of a side walk or something, and talk to God while enjoying the fresh air or looking at the moon. Sometimes I take photos, sing a song, or whistle to the tune of a song or music I like. Many times I go for a short walk exploring the surrounding area. Those breaks can take from 5 to 15 minutes. Sometimes I enjoy my stay so much that someone usually come asking me to go back in to join them, or ask if there is something wrong!

Love The Lord Your God by Fadi

The main reasons I like to take those breaks from a crowded place, such a party or some kind of gathering, is to let God know that I miss Him. I don’t know if this makes sense or not, but I will try to explain it as best as I can through this example:

Imagine that you are invited to an office party that you have to attend but you have to go by yourself, no family members or friends are allowed. And let’s say it will be from 6 to 10 pm, and so you tell your wife and on the appointed day you go the party. Of course, your wife won’t mind since you are not doing anything wrong by attending the party, but you know that she might feel lonely or left out. So what do you do? When you go there you call her, you go to a quiet place, and call her telling her that you love her, miss her, and that the party is tasteless because she is not with you—that you wish you had spent the evening going out with her. Why would you make that call? Because you love your wife, and want to express your true feelings to her so she knows her true worth to you.

Well, that’s pretty much the best example I can think of as to why I like to take breaks to talk with God. It is my way of letting Him know that He is, and will always be my best friend, and that I love Him. And that even though I am in the midst of a large crowd, that I have not forgotten Him. Do I make sense? Yes, no, a little?

I guess you would call me an introvert, contrary to what most people think, an introvert is not simply a person who is shy. In fact, being shy has little to do with being an introvert! Shyness has an element of apprehension, nervousness and anxiety, and while an introvert may also be shy, introversion itself is not shyness. Basically, an introvert is a person who is energized by being alone and whose energy is drained by being around other people. Whether you are an Intovert or Extravert (a person concerned primarily with the physical and social environment), God wants to do a good work inside of you, he can use your particular personality to reach people or to spread his Gospel in different and exciting ways! What is your personality type? Are you using that difference to have a closer relationship with Christ?

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Jesus You’re My Everything by Kirk Franklin

You know I’ve had some lonely days
I’ve made mistakes and had to pay
I’ve had some friends that walked away
Just like mama told me

But there is someone whose love is real
Who cares about the way I feel (I know you feel)
Every pain that every stain
That sings when I call out your name

(Chorus)
Jesus you’re my everything
The cross you did that just for me
So what ever you take me through
I promise you I’ll spend my own ways with you

No one can touch my heart like you
Or make me smile the way you do
I’ve finally found someone who
Who really truly loves me
And when my strength has come and gone (ho oh)
Your life in me it makes me strong
Your hand is where my heart belongs
You took all my pain and erased every stain

(Chorus)
Jesus you’re my every thing
The cross you did that just for me
So what ever you take me through
I’ll spend my own ways with you
Jesus my whole life has changed
Since that day I cried your name
For every time you brought me through
I’ll promise you I’ll Spend my own ways with you

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

(Chorus)
Jesus you’re my everything
The cross you did that just for me
So whatever you take me through
I promise you I’ll spend my own ways with you
Jesus my whole life has changed
Since that day I cried your name
For every time you brought me through
I promise you I’ll spend my own ways, spend my own ways with you.
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