Alan taught me an important lesson about worship, and I wrote about it here. However, he got me again in a most unexpected way. One of his favorite, and I mean favorite toys is his whoopee cushion. He laughs every single time, falling over on the floor, cracking up kind of laughing. Every time. “This never gets old!” he says once he catches his breath again.

That’s what I’m missing. My worship does get old. If it gets old to me, I’m afraid to think how God views it. Thinking about Alan, I found 4 things he had while playing, that I need to infuse into my worship.

Spontaneity - He doesn’t schedule when he plays. It just happens. Real worship can’t scheduled. It naturally flows out of a full heart. (Now- this is NOT to say that real worship can’t happen during our weekly scheduled services. It absolutely should. My point is that is can’t be switched on and off with the clock.)

Focus - When Alan plays, he only has one toy. He’s not thinking ahead to what’s next. He is totally in the moment. I admit, I get in church and my brain wanders off like a toddler in a theme park. (Another story for another day perhaps.)

Energy - Alan goes after that whoopee cushion with gusto. In fact he’s burst a couple of them in his exuberance. Too many times, my worship becomes a passive spectator activity.

Delight - Alan LOVES that whoopee cushion. I need to develop that excitement, that thrill of just being in God’s presence.

Part of my problem is my relationship with God is too formal. I mean, He’s GOD, after all. I can’t just… you know… And I realize this is an issue. In the last year or so, God has gently been guiding me toward real intimacy with Him, not just ‘knowing about” Him, but having that sense of belonging. Letting go of shame was one step on that road. Genuine worship is another.

We are traveling this weekend, so I have a to-do list and a half today. Most of it involves laundry (and its evil twin- ironing). Bleeeah. When I have days like this, I react in one of two ways. I either lock-up, overwhelmed by all that ‘must’ be done and accomplish absolutely nothing. At the end of the day, I go to bed tired, but stressed and not sleep. OR I get to work, steadily and systematically. I may not finish everything, but I’ll get a healthy chunk of it done. Tonight I can go to bed tired but satisfied- and sleep.What makes the difference? Focusing on the results vs. focusing on the process. If I get too concerned on achieving, on meeting expectations, on what I have to show at the end of the day, I get strangled by the fear of failure. (That’s another issue. Maybe I’ll post on it in the future.) I become reactive. However, if I focus on the process, the steps I can take, then optimism takes over and I become proactive.

This translates into my relationship with God, too. If I get too wrapped up in the task at hand, and the expected results, I begin to rely on my own strength to bring it to pass. However, if I focus on following Christ, then all the pressure’s off me. He’s responsible for the path and the results. I just have to take the next step.

Even if that next step is the mountain of ironing.