Wild Abandon....Here I Come!

I was off and running in the crisp cold air this morning....with one thing on my mind.....thoughts about the New Year. There is so much emphasis on New Year’s resolutions...and we know how those go. As I ran this morning I kept thinking about what my year held, and what the next year holds. For some reason my mind kept going back to a story I read in my devotions this morning.

It was about a 17 year old girl who worshiped the Lord with wild abandon! Every Sunday she would be raising her hands, dancing with delight with the light of Jesus shining out of her eyes. She was wholeheartedly worshiping the Lord. The more mature, sedate believers were worshiping God as well...in a refined, upscale kind of way. The young girl's mother would grab her and pull her back to her seat but the young girl didn’t care. She wanted to praise God. So her hands stayed in the air and she clapped and sang loudly as she worshiped Him with abandon. The young girl turned out to be a 2 year old trapped in the body of a 17 year old. She was autistic. She hadn’t learned that her style of worship should please and impress people. Her worship hadn’t been tainted with religious pomp and circumstance. She didn’t pay attention to the people around her or worry about what they might think of her. Out of her childlike relationship with her Savior, this young girl just gave Jesus everything she had.

Do I have this childlike relationship with the Lord? Have I become too grown up to receive what Jesus has for me? Too dignified to respond as spontaneously and wholeheartedly to Him as a child would? I don’t want anything blocking me from hearing His voice more clearly. I want to worship with wild abandon. After all that is what Jesus does over me! He dances over me with singing! Praise and Worship is near and dear to my heart. It was traveling in groups across the country, and singing praise and worship through music ministry, where I received so much healing in my life. It gets me right to the heart of my Savior. This year I want to worship and serve the Lord with wild abandon. I want to love Jesus with a child like love that goes straight to His heart. I don’t want to be a sedate believer.

I have seen a glimpse of Jesus in ways that have been astounding this year through some trials and hurdles that came our way, and I want to tap in deeper. His Holy Spirit is what carried me through when I humanly could not. It was miraculous to say the least.

Whatever 2011 holds, I want to always be reminded of that young girl....praising her Savior with wild abandon. She had a glimpse of heaven. Who can get that glimpse and not stand still?

As I finished my run....I began to run with my arms raised up and a dance to my step. I am excited! I look forward to 2011 whatever it holds. I face it with wild abandon, and know that in His presence....whatever comes my way....He will be smiling over me, and will carry me through to victory. It will be a glorious year in His presence.

2011 Here I come!