that the Holy Spirit would move me, instead of me trying to move myself. empower me. however you want to say it--i guess i've been awakened to the idea that when He says we can do all things through Him (Phil 4:13), it's not so much the idea of filling up at the gas station on God-fuel, and then heading off on my own. rather, it's staying plugged into the source, and realizing, really realizing, that as much as i like to think i can do things on my own, i can't. not really. it may seem or feel like it or whatever, but the truth is, i have to learn to depend on Him.
SO much easier said than done, especially for a stubborn girl like me.
but one thing i've been specifically thinking and praying about lately is this idea of "quickening." i didn't know much about the term, but i'd heard others use it when i'd read some older texts, written by some of the greats of our faith (Wesley, etc). so, of course, i googled it.
interestingly, the first thing i found on wikipedia was actually about pregnancy. i thought i was off at first, but as i skimmed over the article, i began to see the connection:
"The word "quick" originally meant "alive". Historically, quickening has sometimes been considered to be the beginning of the possession of "individual life" by the fetus."
now, the way i was originally thinking of this term was in relation to the Holy Spirit being at work in our lives/hearts/etc, waking us up spiritually to the truth and reality of God. that was my understanding from the references to it in what i'd read. and this seems to fit right in, in an even more amazing way.
a baby in its mother's womb was said to be quicken when it moved for the first time, when it showed evidence of LIFE. we don't use this term much any more, not that i'm aware of at least, but what an incredible concept, especially when you link it to our spiritual life.
so, to get a little more info, i headed to the dictionary:
quick·en
Pronunciation: \ˈkwi-kən\
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): quick·ened; quick·en·ing \ˈkwi-kə-niŋ, ˈkwik-niŋ\
Date: 14th century
transitive verb
1 a: to make alive : revive b: to cause to be enlivened : stimulate
2archaic a: kindle b: to cause to burn more intensely
3: to make more rapid : hasten , accelerate
4 a: to make (a curve) sharper b: to make (a slope) steeper
intransitive verb
1: to quicken something
2: to come to life ; especially : to enter into a phase of active growth and development
3: to reach the stage of gestation at which fetal motion is felt
4: to shine more brightly
5: to become more rapid
—
incredible! no wonder people used to use this word to describe the action of the Holy Spirit in our hearts when we finally "get it," when the pieces fit together, the lights come on, and we know that we KNOW that God is who He says He is and He is doing what He said He'd do, right there, in our own lives.
a totatly undescribable experience, and yet so real and tangible it feels like it hardly makes sense.
the quickening of our souls.
wow.
i especially like this part of the definition: "to come to life ; especially : to enter into a phase of active growth and development
this is the way it should be for us as believers, coming to life and then entering into a phase of active growth and development, hungering for God, for this new life that we've tasted and longing to grow and be more like Him.
so why is it that we settle for so much less most of the time?
why is it that i'm so quickly distracted by junk when i have the opportunity for a true feast before me? why am i so content with mudpies when all the joy and wonder of life with You is there before me?
ugh.
so this has been my prayer lately, for myself and others, that God would awaken, would quicken us. that we would stop settling for junk and start hungering for Him. i think we can only learn and know so much--there comes a point when we have to start reaching, tasting, moving, and really, letting Him move us.
so, come Lord Jesus, come.
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