YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD by Dr. Gary Smalley

Just in case the title doesn't "warn" you, the following will be littered with Christian and/or religious content.  While I haven't written it, that's the subject of the book, so I know it's going to lean that way...So if you don't feel comfortable reading any of my posts with Christian and/or religious content, avoid this one...




I have loved Dr. Smalley for more years than I can remember....that's not completely true.  I first heard about Dr. Smalley before I even had a serious boyfriend, yet there was a marriage seminar at the church I was attending while I was in college.  I went to the seminar anyway because I was always very active in church.  Besides, I hoped to one day get married, so why not try to nip some things in the bud early on?!  (Sounds funny writing it, too!)

Anyway, most of Dr. Smalley's books and/or seminars focus on marriage relationships.  I absolutely LOVE the way he presents his material.  I will never forget the first video we watched where he showed a Statovarious (no idea how to spell that) [violin] and demonstrated the awe people feel when in the presence of such an important instrument--and explained that we should feel the same way towards the people in our loves whom we love. 

This book of Dr. Smalley's takes a bit of side road as he discusses the fact that for a period of approximately 10 years, he fell away from his faith (I'm not sure of how to word that any other way).  It's not that he completely turned his back on God.  He was still living and serving God, but he wasn't following God with his WHOLE heart, soul, mind, and strength.  And he was allowing LIFE to get in the way of his relationship with Christ.  Ultimately, he was going through one major challenge after another that was destroying his personal life, his personal relationships, but most importantly, his relationship with Christ.

For Dr. Smalley, it took an epiphany while he was recovering from a kidney transplant to get back on track.  Part of his epiphany comes when he realizes that while his son--who freely gave his dad a kidney--was fighting for his life on the operating table (things didn't go very well for him, the son, when the doctors removed his kidney), Gary was waiting in the next or wondering what in the world was taking so long.  He, Gary, was fussing at everyone and complaining about everyone and everything--all while his own son lay on an operating room table fighting for his life, donating a kidney to his dad......

What dad wouldn't come to his senses after hearing a story like that?  Thank the Lord everything turned out well for both father and son.....

But especially for Gary, since he was able to see how far away from the Lord he had strayed in recent years....and he found his way back to a true, solid relationship with Christ. 

This book is beautifully written and well worth the read.  I picked it up to read not only because I really like Dr. Smalley's books, but also because I am trying to do a thorough Bible study on having a personal relationship with Christ.  I want to read everything I can about growing in God, growing closer to Him--truly having a RELATIONSHIP with Him.  Since I had this book on my shelf, and since it's actually called Your Relationship with God, it was an obvious great first choice in my quest.

I have been doing a weight loss program called Weigh Down.  The founder of the Weigh Down Workshop, Gwen Shamblin, talks over and over and over and over again about how the whole concept of losing weight permanently is to change my focus from a focus on food to a focus on God--having a relationship with God rather than a relationship with the food.  As a Christian myself, so much of what she says makes perfect sense.

As we draw closer to God, so many of our cares and worries fade away.  I've heard that all my life.  I've believed that all my life.  I've known that all my life.....but the kicker is that I've known it with my HEAD, not my HEART.  Believe me, there IS a difference between HEAD knowledge and HEART knowledge.  I've known for a long time that to be so very true.  In fact, I often talk about the scene in Steel Magnolias where Sally Field is standing beside the coffin of her daughter in the graveyard yelling about how she knows all the things about how Shelby doesn't have to hurt any more and she's in a better place--she knows all that in her head, she just wishes someone would tell her heart.

I can't even WRITE about that scene without getting choked up....

I've said the same thing time and time again over the years as I've suffered through depression and just the plain and simple suffering that comes with losing babies.  I KNOW God is the only one who can provide true comfort....He can take my tragedies and turn them into something good for Him....and on and on the list goes.....At the same time, it never has taken away my pain.

But the truth is, it IS true that as we draw closer to God, He draws nearer to us.  Rick Warren says in his book The Purpose-Driven Life (a book EVERY PERSON, Christian or not, should be required to read) that we are as close to God as we choose to be.  Gwen Shamblin (Weigh Down) says the very same thing.  Dr. Gary Smalley is talking about the same thing in this book, too.

It is MY choice to draw close to God--to have a RELATIONSHIP--with Him.....or not.  But if I do choose to have a true relationship with Him, I am to love Him with ALL my heart, ALL my mind, ALL my soul, and with ALL my strength.  I can not be a luke-warm Christian....ALL or nothing....

So, in choosing food--to be fat, I'm rejecting God.  As I continue in my struggle with weight loss, I am finding that my depression has lifted as I have CHOSEN to focus on growing my relationship with God (Christ) rather than focusing on the food.

I am finding that I FEEL better emotionally and physically and I choose to draw closer to Him.  I haven't felt very good physically in over two years.  I realize that a part of my feeling better does have a lot to do with plain and simply time....the simple fact that it's now been a full year since my reversal surgery when I had 8-inches of my colon removed.  It does take time for our bodies to heal from such major surgeries.  But it is also true that rather than feeling sorry for myself about what I've been through or embarrassed, I can look at what I've been through as an opportunity to draw closer to Him.  I've had to rely on Him to get me through what was a truly HORRIBLE time of my life.

I'm not explaining myself very well.  I realize that my thoughts are all over the place and that I've almost completely lost focus from my original point of talking about Dr. Smalley's book Your Relationship with God.....but these are my thoughts as they've come to me as I've just tried to share about how important this book is and what a difference my life is because I'm CHOOSING God and to have a RELATIONSHIP with Him......