NOT ENOUGH GOD (letter to my family)

Hi loved ones…for that is what you are at the end of the day, and what we are as a family. I hope none of us have any doubts about that.
I haven’t written you for some years, that is, a message from my heart. But once again, I feel the urge to do so, and knowing that some of you may not approve, or agree, while others will, whether voiced or not, still I cannot and dare not be silent, especially to those I love and am bound to as family. We must not keep silent when so much is at stake.
It’s Thanksgiving Sunday and I am so grateful for all of us, and everyday, no matter where I am in the world, I lift up my family, often individually, and always by family units, in prayer to God for your wellness, body, soul and spirit.
Here’s what is on my heart at this time. I wrote a song a few years ago called ‘Not Enough God’ and it’s on my 2008 release ‘In Love, At War, On Fire’. I’ll include the lyrics at the end of this email. I am struck time and time again, almost daily as I step out my door or watch the news or hear someone’s sad tale, that there’s just not enough God in this world. Tho He is still everywhere to be seen and heard, even in the suffering and heartbreak, if we are but accustomed to seeing and listening, there is still a war fought over our hearts and it is often dirty, ugly, and bloody. It is all around us and often we miss this reality as well as God’s beauty and wonders around us.
I think we have enough religion, enough dogmatism, busyness, and all that jazz…just not enough God, which is to say love, beauty, mystery, wonder, romance, adventure, righteousness, goodness, and life. We don’t need more rites and rituals, more tips, tricks and techniques. We just desperately need God. I do.
We are in a war, all of us, and I am made aware of this again today…we are fighting for our very souls, not only our own, my goodness, but for those of each other, and beyond that, our friends and loved ones outside our family.
I pray that our homes would be places where there is ‘enough God’…an abundance of God, a rich legacy of faith, love and hope, where our love for God and faith in Him is expressed freely and as naturally as breathing, eating and drinking. Where the very fibre of our being is rooted in His deep love for us, and our hearts are constantly longing for and reaching out to Him, depending on Him, hoping in Him. I imagine kids being brought up in this environment…and yes, I know there is a great battle for the kids and it is fought within our homes as well.
I know we don’t want to force our faith on others. We live in an age where it seems our highest aspiration is not to offend anyone. We want to allow our kids I’m sure, the freedom to choose their own God and their own faith, their own path…I get that. But I want to remind us of this (tho, I’m sure you know it better than I) they are being bombarded daily at school, by friends and peers, by internet, TV, radio, media in general…by an enemy who doesn’t give a rat’s ass about offense and tolerance and fairness. If they don’t have their own homes to come home to and experience something of God (again, I’m speaking of love, mercy, forgiveness, honour, courage, faith, hope), what chance have they? There’s simply not enough God out there for it to be a fair fight.
Let our homes, our families, be places where they/we are inundated with love and life and the evidence of God in our lives, our daily lives, thru the struggles and crisis, the glories and triumphs, the humdrum and ordinary days of our lives. Let us not hold back, let us not be ashamed, let us love God freely in front of all, boasting about Him, telling of his rescues in our lives, His mercies, His protections, His ‘coming thru’ for us time and time again. Let these stories be told over and over, passed down from generation to generation. Let us not silence, or even merely put up with, our moms and dads, our gramas and grampas for wanting or trying to tell these stories. They are stories of life, of an ageless love, of an amazing God who lives today and fights for our hearts as well, to bring them to life and freedom, to the only place they can be eternally found…in Him.
Let us fight well, valiantly, and proactively for those we have been entrusted to.
With love, and in the battle with you for our hearts, rob

NOT ENOUGH GOD

Underneath the surface, underneath all the lies
Underneath the disguise, underneath there’s a
Heart that is crying for life, that is longing
For love, just to love and be loved

Is that too much to ask, is it too much to want
Are we foolish to dream, is it too high a cost
Are we under a curse, and we realize it not
Do we still have a chance if we reach out to God

Not enough time, not enough air
Not enough man, to keep the girl
Not enough life, not enough love
There is surely not enough God
In this old world

I’ve been looking around, I’ve been watching the game
And it all seems the same, if you open your eyes
If you get off this ride, maybe there is a chance
Maybe there is romance