I took a ride Friday morning down to my parent's lake house on Oconee, for a home-cooked lunch from my mom, and a little moto-maintenance help from my dad. The ride down was, well, as close to heaven as I've felt in some time. Perfect riding conditions- cool temps, warm sun, gentle breeze, the world in full bloom, wide-open roads. The kind of morning that you want to freeze in time, and linger therein. In all, almost 2 hours of biker bliss!

Often as I ride, I worship and pray. I'm totally focused- on the road ahead, the bike beneath me, the world around me, and my Lord over me. I prayed for family & friends, I worshiped & praised for all the beauty in His world surrounding me, and I asked that He speak into my heart whatever He wanted to say to me. At one point, between Bostwick and Madison, I prayed, "Father, do I bring You pleasure? I want You to be proud of me." I felt His voice speak into my heart, "I am greatly pleased with you. I take great delight in you." It thrilled my heart, and I quickly replied, "Show me how I can bring You greater pleasure!" No sooner had those words crossed my mind, when He pretty much cut off my thought process with this truth- "You can't bring me anymore pleasure than you already do. I am fully pleased with you. I delight in you, not because of anything you do, but because you are Mine." I let the weight of that truth sink in, but still I responded, "Even with my faults and shortcomings? I struggle with my thought life, my tongue, my distractedness, my feelings of failure at home...I sometimes don't feel like I bring You much pleasure." To which He stated, "It doesn't matter. My pleasure in you is not based on what you do. Its based on My love for you. I delight in you."

I rode on the rest of the way, just letting that simple but profound truth settle into my heart. I knew it I think, I just needed Him to remind of me of it again. We let so many of the world's cares, fears, and sins burden us down, that we forget the great love of God for us, which we cannot earn, nor can we lose. Sometimes, we just need to unplug from the world and pull aside for a time, and let Him begin to speak again. I'll live for Him, not because I need to bring Him pleasure, but because He already is pleased with me.