ONE

It took me a while to pinpoint what word I wanted to focus on for 2016 but I finally nailed it down. 

Chase.

In my other blog I wrote about going through "the valley experience." It's a common term in Christianese. I described it this way:

Christians don't live on the mountaintop. It's more like we go there on short vacations. Those spiritual highs are the highlights of our testimonies sometimes. We ignore the lows because, well, they're low. So let's say we usually hover somewhere in the middle. Maybe we live on nice, stable plateaus with short furloughs to the mountaintop and occasional drops to the valley. 
On the mountaintop you feel incredibly close to God. Your prayer life feels more rich and fulfilling. You feel like God is all around you and it's amazing. 
In the valley you feel distant. You feel separated. You feel alone. Sometimes the disconnect is frustrating. Other times it's depressing. There are even times when you might have been in it for a little while before you even realize it. You've been coasting along doing your thing when suddenly it hits you..."Where are you God?"

 At the end of the blog I wrote what, I hope, would help others who are experiencing this spiritual low to climb out of it. The last thing I suggested was to be diligent in seeking Him because if you seek Him you WILL find Him (Jeremiah 29:13).

To be completely honest I've been in the sinkhole of a valley for a while. I even recently told God in my prayer journal that I'd be patiently waiting for Him. I want to be steadfast in my faith and love for Him - just as He is in his love for me.

I don't want to be idle as I wait, however. Some people refer to God's pursuit of us as a divine romance. The idea is that God loved us so much that He was compelled by His love to create a perfect way for us to be with Him. He wanted to rescue us from our broken fellowship. Ted Dekker called it the "great romance" in his Circle Series.

“This was the Great Romance. To love at any cost.”  - Ted Dekker

God wasn't idle while He waited for me to respond to His pursuit of me. He sent His Son and prepared a way for me and Jesus is even busy making me a home in Heaven. If He's not idle I won't be either.

So my word for 2016 is chase. I'm going to spend this year chasing after Him.