This Friday I came home with a nasty cold/sinus infection/plague... oh what fun! Because of this I have been cooped up in my room in my pajamas, with tea and my computer for almost 48 hrs. I am going a little stir crazy and started a dance party with the cats. They didn't appreciate my efforts so I thought I would focus my energy into something more creative and restful like writing (also when you have a sinus infection it throws off your equilibrium and dancing can become dangerous to everyone involved even cats).
Ruminating on what one wants from life is always a good exercise. When you think about what you want out of life it gets you to invest more in life, because life is truly what you make of it. In my ruminations and writings I noticed that I kept using the phrase "pour life," in ways such as "I want to be in a community that pours life into me" and "I want to pour life into children/women/families who desperately need it." This phrase kept coming up so much that I wanted to distill what I meant by it, so I pulled out my handy-dandy iPhone ESV bible app and searched for "life."
Psalm 16:11
"You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forever more."
Ecclesiastes 7:20
"For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart."
Mathew 7:14
"For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."
Mark 8:35
"For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it."
Philippians 2:16-18
"holding fast to the word of life so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me."
Colossians 3:3
"For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."
2 Peter 1:3-6
"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness."
Revelations 21:6
"To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment."
Basically what "pour life" means is to live a life of sacrificial love like Jesus'. As this pouring out happens a pouring in happens as well. Like a stream that flows, the waters keep coming and keep going. Refreshing and resting at the very same time. And again the precious grace and goodness of The Father leads me back to his love and lap, to build a deeper dependence on his arm to sustain me.
I love the verse from Ecclesiastes. I want to be so occupied with the joy of the Lord that I lose track of my days in how lavishly I am living them. As the world is awakening to the warmth of Spring, I feel my heart awakening and sprouting joy. Soon Summer will be here with fruit, and Autumn with harvest, and Winter again for the deepening of roots. But as these seasons come over and over again, I want to find myself "hidden with Christ in God," tucked away in his identity, covered and fulfilled.
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