Late Night Coffee

There are few things I enjoy more in life then chillin with my wife, whether it's on the couch or a chair at Starbucks, and us just hanging out. Oh how fun it is! I love dating her. And hanging out is such a central part of dating. So I'm sitting here on the couch at 1 am, my wife and daughter asleep on the other end of the couch. My dog is 'on the hunt;' her prey is a cricket stealthily hiding under the armoire. And I'm doing working on my partial differential equations homework (well, kinda. I'm mostly writing right now). But regardless of my inability to do work over a long period of time; conversation is the best with the ones I love.

We had this moment earlier where our daughter was asleep in bed and we just collapsed on the couch to hang out. Not really talking much, just being near. Just being. It's great. I feel like that with God many times. It's refreshing in a way, because after pursuing and pursuing and pursuing God, we always have those moments where we just want to collapse on the couch next to Jesus and let that be that. In my mind, I picture Jesus as being gorgeous, incredible, fun, wonderful in every way. And I just wonder what it would be like to be next to Jesus, as gorgeous as he is, and just hanging out on the couch. How about hanging out late at night? Even better!

Dating Jesus is my favorite. How many times in the middle of the night do we have the feeling,

I slept, but my heart was awake. Song of Songs 5:2, NIV

And what is it our hearts are longing for? God. Our Lover God. The next verse says what is really going on,

Listen! my beloved is knocking. "Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one."

One of the biggest things that keeps me from complete and utter ecstasy and delight with Jesus is a distraction. Most of the time, for me, it's music. I want to listen to a song, and then another, and then another, you get the picture, and through the process, I end up not opening to Jesus. And when I'm in the right mood, I then look back and think, "Wow Joel, that was dumb. Why did you give up all those minutes of enjoyment of God when you wanted to listen to some music instead?" And what is it that Jesus wants of us instead? He wants us to be intimate with us. Deeply, passionately.

The worst thing about the whole process is that I usually kill the mood by being so un-romantic with Jesus.

My inmost being yearned for him. I arose to open to my beloved...but my beloved had turned and was gone. My soul failed me when he spoke. I sought him, but did not find him. Song of Songs 5:5,6 (NASB)

How true is 1 Thessalonians 5:19, "Do not put out the Spirit's fire." (NIV) I have so many times, instances, etc, where I know Jesus' torrid love is beckoning me, and yet I set him aside for myself. It's me just being dumb. When will I learn?

But back to hanging out with Jesus in the middle of the night. What is more sweet then that? I wish Jesus was here, we'd get pizza (I'm sure he could have the angels bring some down to us), and some popcorn, watch movies, hang out, hold each other and cuddle, have a sleep over. When oh when will he come back? Our heart's desire, Jesus Christ, our Lover, our God forever, the Son of God himself who died and rescued us from sin to marry him forever in perfect love and intimacy and joy. And he will come home soon to us.

I want to be that guy above with Jesus and my wife at a coffeehouse at 2 am talking up a storm! We have something incredible coming with our romance with Jesus. Our intimacy with him will be perfect and wonderful. And we'll get to hang out with him and each other in the early morning and watch tv, play games, eat pizza and popcorn. What life we have with God! And we live on hope with him coming home to us one day. But we've got the Holy Spirit with us now and he is wonderful. There is nothing like quiet, lovely intimacy with him. And having that with him and each other now is incredible. We truly have the best life with Jesus. Tonight, today, whenever, get close to him! Be intimate with him. Love on him. Get him to smother you all over him because it feels so good. Worshipping him, closely, secretly. He is so wonderful, so beautiful.