{"id":1817,"date":"2012-06-01T10:26:41","date_gmt":"2012-06-01T14:26:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/activistfaith\/?p=1817"},"modified":"2012-05-24T10:27:15","modified_gmt":"2012-05-24T14:27:15","slug":"god-in-the-yard-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/activistfaith\/2012\/06\/god-in-the-yard-3.html","title":{"rendered":"God in the Yard"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"reading,<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the story of an unusual year, when I did something I never intended to do. But it is also a course in discovery<\/em> and playing towards God<\/em>, through spiritual practice, offered with gentle expectations.\u201d ~ L.L. Barkat<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Some of the best growth we can experience is completely unintended. It comes in those moments we least expect it to come. You know\u2026 those times of clarity we encounter when we think we have it all figured out, and then\u2026 BOOM!<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve always been one to strive. For everything. Including my relationship with God.<\/p>\n

At times I\u2019ve tried to figure out the right formula to somehow improve my relationship with God. I don\u2019t question my salvation, but have thought that if I could just do \u201cX\u201d then maybe God will love (bless) me more.<\/p>\n

What I\u2019ve learned is that the best thing I can do is to just position myself, and let the relationship with Him grow as He pours into it as well.<\/p>\n

We often get so busy trying to do things to please God, when all we have to do is just be there.<\/strong><\/p>\n

For me, that\u2019s what this project is all about.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know exactly what I\u2019ll get out of it. But I do know that I can\u2019t<\/del> shouldn\u2019t try to force it. I also know that as I put myself out there to experience Him in a greater way, He will<\/em> meet me there.<\/p>\n

So my prayer as we step into this study together is that we not strive for anything, but rather we just go to that place where we can encounter an awesome God. And I pray that as we meet Him there, He would touch and change each one of us in ways we\u2019ve never expected. Amen.<\/p>\n

As we launch into this study together, I leave you with these final words from L.L. Barkat in the introduction to the book\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cJust begin.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

+++<\/p>\n

From Activist Faith co-founder Dan King. Originally posted at BibleDude.net<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cThis is the story of an unusual year, when I did something I never intended to do. But it is also a course in discovery and playing towards God, through spiritual practice, offered with gentle expectations.\u201d ~ L.L. Barkat Some of the best growth we can experience is completely unintended. It comes in those moments…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":230,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christianity"],"yoast_head":"\nGod in the Yard - Activist Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/activistfaith\/2012\/06\/god-in-the-yard-3.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"God in the Yard - Activist Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cThis is the story of an unusual year, when I did something I never intended to do. 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