Tuning out the Waterfall

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 1 John 3:1

Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the Lord, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10

If you live by a train track or a highway, you know about habituation. The word habituation refers to a decrease in response to a stimulus after repeated presentations. It’s protective.  After you become accustomed to this sound, you pay less attention to the stimulus and your response to the sound will diminish. This diminished response is habituation. You learn to tune out the noise.

Unfortunately, habituation also happens if you live by a waterfall or the ocean.  And it also happens to our response to God’s goodness and love. After a lifetime of knowing God, He still blesses us and loves us. We just stop noticing it. And we definitely stop responding to it. Gone is the joy of appreciation, the peaceful feeling of walking with God, the security that comes from being loved beyond all measure. Habituation is no longer protective. We need to hear that waterfall.

Habituation is natural, but it’s not inevitable. Hearing the waterfall is a part of our worship and it brings so many blessings.

Your Grace Still Amazes Me – Philips, Craig and Dean

My faithful Father, enduring friend
Your tender mercy's like a river with no end
It overwhelms me, covers my sin
Each time I come into your presence I stand in wonder once again

Your grace still amazes me

Refrain:  Your love is still a mystery
Each day I fall on my knees
'Cause Your grace still amazes me
Your grace still amazes me

 

Oh patient savior, You make me whole
You are the author and the healer of my soul
What can I give You, Lord what can I say
I know there's no way to repay You only to offer You my praise

Your grace still amazes me

It's deeper, it's wider, it's stronger, it's higher
It's deeper, it's wider, it's stronger, it's higher
Than anything my eyes can see

Your grace still amazes me 

Prayer:  Dear Lord, I know of your great love, but I admit I take it for granted. I miss out on the amazement I could be experiencing, and I fail to worship you as I should.  During Lent and every day, I ask you to open my eyes and ears to your blessings so I can again hear the beautiful waterfall.  Amen

Lori Snyder-Sloan