You're the one that I want.

I had a very strange experience this week. 

I was getting ready for the day one morning, popping on a bit of make-up in my bedroom. Hubs was listening to a report by a football journalist about the weekend's matches. I am not really interested. I stopped following football at senior school, having had a few years of supporting Leeds United in the golden days of Don Revie...not sure why as I am from Birmingham, but they had an amazing team and then, I could name every one of the team below!

Back Row: Paul Reaney, Norman Hunter, Allan Clarke, Mike O'Grady, David Harvey, Gary Sprake,
Paul Madeley, Eddie Gray, Rod Belfitt, Jack Charlton.
Front Row: Mick Jones, Terry Cooper, Terry Hibbitt, Billy Bremner, Johnny Giles, Mick Bates, Peter Lorimer.

 So...the reporter drones on and I continue to prissy myself with only half an ear on what's being said in the background. Then the reporter 

announces that 'Bournemouth is about to swap places with....' *click*

I snap my head around. 

Hubs is about to head downstairs. He has finished with the report and flicks off the radio! 

'Aaaargh!' I squeal! ' Bournemouth is swapping places with who?' 

Hubs stares at me with bewilderment for a moment before moving to put the radio back on.

'It's no use NOW!' I declare. 'He will have finished his sentence. I'll never know!'

Hubs defends himself 

'But it's about football. Bournemouth isn't actually swapping with another town!'

(I take comfort in knowing it is not just MY husband who says things that are totally obvious in a tone that suggests belief in the need to say them)

I sigh heavily.

'I know THAT! I don't expect Bournemouth is going to undo years of map co-ordinates and move up the coast! I know it's a football leaguey thing - I just wanted to know who they are swapping places with!'

He corrects me as if I need to know.

'Actually, it's the Premiership!'

I draw breath and try to hold it for ten. My stare and raised eyebrows are the sign he takes to back out of the door...quickly. 

(To be fair, I AM astounded that Bournemouth are in the Premiership!!)

Continuing my beautification, I reflect on the incident.

How strange it is that something that you either don't want, have no desire for or normally would not even touch with a barge pole, takes on a huge desirability factor when you are told you can't have it. Minutes, hours, days...how long do we spend in a lifetime thinking about or hankering after things that are not meant to be ours. They needlessly steal time, emotion and energy from us and we let them. The realisation brought me to a standstill, as if I was stood suddenly under a searchlight. 

I guess Holy Spirit was in helicopter mode, hovering over my head, training His light on me. 

So often, I get het up about things that don't matter and forget what does. For me this last couple of weeks, I have been thinking about how closely I walk with God and how to walk more closely with Him. 

John Paul Jackson said, 

'The height of your relationship with God depends on the depth of your desire.'

I was in an idiotic 'panic' over an utterly pointless piece of news that was snatched away from me. I had even momentarily considered going to the internet to find out its conclusion (no - I can't believe that either!!!)

I asked myself there in that moment, how much am I excited to spend time with God? How much do I yearn to seek out His presence, this God who longs with all His heart for time with me, to adventure together or to just enjoy one another's company, especially when we have such an amazing time, the two of us. There is nowhere worth being more than at His side, whether that is in the quiet of 'just us' moments or out in the bustle of the 'everyday'.

2 Chronicles 16:9 says, 

'For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward Him'

WOW! I love this. What a thought. He is looking out for me all the time...to give me strong support, as I stand blameless before Him. No 'Where's Wally' experiences for Him - His eyes will find me. Bang! Thinking about this, I was thankful that God, my heavenly Father, can even use a snippet of a footie report to call me back to Him. 

'Hey, Angie...I missed you. Come back and know My heart of love for you'

Even writing this, I can't wait to finish and spend time with Him, soaking in His closeness and hearing from Him, me knowing His love and Him receiving mine, thinking together about what our next adventures can be, especially in the light of some encounters this week. 

The depth of my desire may wane but recognising that, prompts me to do something about it and head for the heights. For now, I am going to enjoy the embrace of His company, listening to songs from the heart; lost in Wonder and planning to enjoy Him Forever 

I hope you will take the opportunity to be blessed by these songs too