To 'Linger':
verb

1. "To remain or stay in a place longer than is usual or expected, as if from reluctance to leave."

A friend recently shared a prophetic word with me about lingering in God’s presence and I wanted that. To stay longer than usual or expected with Jesus. To linger with Him. Just reading the definition off of Safari brought tears to my eyes. What does that look like? To be reluctant to leave His sweet presence, the atmosphere filled with His fragrance. How do I get there? To resist doing what is expected to experience the unexpected. This takes risk. Like stepping out of the boat in a storm. What if I wait for Him to come and He doesn’t? What if I drown in swirling silence?

In the last little while wherever I go, whoever I talk to, whatever I listen to or read, I come across these beckoning words: rest in Him, abide in the Vine, called out and set apart to worship, everything flows out of intimacy with Him, be continually filled, fill up with oil, cling close to the Holy Spirit, He is longing for deeper intimacy with us, return to our first love, He wants us to have greater encounters of Him, He wants to interrupt us with His presence, come away with Him and come up higher, He is longing for a place to manifest His glory like we’ve never seen before…

Do you see a common theme emerge? Really it's nothing new. This is God’s theme since Eden, walking in the cool of the day. It’s all B-I-B-L-E. But it leaps off of the page with greater urgency for such a time as this. I believe the thread that ties it all together is to linger. To spend quality time. I believe that quality time is God's love language (The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman) and He longs for us to express it to Him. Think Abraham led outside of the tent to count the stars. Think David in the wilderness making songs with the sheep. Moses encountering the burning bush that didn’t burn up. Mary carrying Jesus in her womb. The first church tarrying in the upper room. Paul and Silas chained to the prison wall at midnight. All taking the time to meet with and respond to the Living God. It’s not just a warm sentiment. This is essential.

I walk in the forest in the morning as often as I can. My van sits in the school parking lot long past what is expected or reasonable for morning drop-off. I don’t quite understand why I am The only one who does this. But I am glad it’s only me and Jesus. I just can’t resist, I feel a call. No matter the weather. I say to people that I hear Him best in the woods. It’s not like I “hear” hear Him. But I know I do. In my "knower", deep inside. Technically that’s my spirit. Honestly though, I do a lot of the talking. Some mornings I go into the trees, into creation, to remind myself that He is real because all of this astounding beauty, overflowing with life, would not exist if He didn’t. I go there to remember who I am: God’s girl running into His presence, who notices His glory revealed in the details of what He has made. This is my love language, how He speaks to me.

He never leaves us. Ponder His name “God-With-Us” and come to know this reality.

I was thinking about this word “linger" one morning as the early sun filtered through the branches and my boots embraced the mud. What would happen if I stood still and was quiet for a bit? So I stopped. I listened. I lingered. I didn't receive any big revelation. But I did notice something: the bird calls. Not just the ones I’m used to like chickadees and crows, a few geese. There were many more birds than I was aware of before and they came from all over: the trees towering above me, beside me in the brambles and flitting about the fallen leaves at my feet. They made a variety of bright sounds that energized the crisp air. I became aware of them once I was quiet enough. I asked Jesus what He wanted to show me. All that resonated in my “knower” was this: stand still and quiet and be aware of things you never noticed before. Also, I was aware that He was with me and that lingering wasn’t as risky as I thought.

He never leaves us. Ponder His name “God-With-Us” and come to know this reality. Brother Lawrence was a French monk in the 1600’s. He wrote a book called "The Practice of the Presence of God." Brother Lawrence challenged himself to acknowledge the constant and unfailing presence of Jesus in the everyday, mundane, ordinary tasks of washing dishes, sweeping floors, washing clothes, et cetera.. (Can you relate?) He found that when he surrendered every moment to God and recognized that He is the extraordinary that gives insignificant things profound meaning, his relationship with Christ deepened richly. Do I do this? Mostly no, but I try to. And then I forget. Then I remember again. Only to forget again.

Decades ago I read in a classic devotional by Oswald Chambers called "My Utmost for His Highest" that all these little "forgettings" of His presence and wanderings away from Him throughout the day are just a beautiful set up for remembering and returning to Him again and again and again.It’s like a collection of small prodigal moments from which we awaken and bring ourselves back to our Father, ready to be His servant just so we don’t starve to death. Only to find Him running to us, then wrapping His waiting arms around us. He joyfully leads us to the feast He has planned to celebrate our homecoming: the return that our God has longed for so we can be together again. It’s not just a powerful analogy. This is necessary.

Some synonyms of the word 'linger' are to: loiter, hang around, remain, dally, delay, dawdle, pause, stop, wait, stay. I dare you (and me!) to loiter in His presence. Say “Hey God, wanna hang around with me?” Remain in one spot long enough to become aware of Him. Dilly-dally on your way out, about and around today. Delay the rush, dawdle on the way so you can spend time with Him. Pause to sense Him. Stop, wait and listen. Only to find Him lingering there with reluctance to leave, awaiting your presence, inviting you to stay awhile with Him. It’s not just an inspiring notion. This is vital.

My heart has heard You say, ”Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “LORD, I am coming.”

Psalm 27:8 NLT