Intimacy Says: In-To-Me-See

I had a hard time defining intimacy until my husband defined it simply by using the word’s syllables: in-ti-ma-cy. He then gave each syllable a word to associate:

The “world” may define intimacy differently, but I want to talk about God’s kind of intimacy–the kind that lasts for eternity. It begins, as you might imagine, with Jesus. If you’ve never had an intimate conversation with the one whose blood paid the price for your sin and death, there’s no better time than right now.

Tell Jesus how you feel about Him right now. Confused? Awed? Angry? You can speak silently in your thoughts or out loud. Are there things you want to know about Him? Take a moment to talk to Him about what you see inside yourself (in-to-me-see) before we talk about other types of intimacy…

Friendship Intimacy – God’s Way

I’ve lived in places coast-to-coast, and the Lord has surrounded me with incredible people in each season of life. He’s also allowed difficult circumstances that forced me to depend on those people.

I’m not great at intimacy, in general, and admitting my need is even harder. However, when we’ve lived far away from family and experienced difficult stuff, it’s pushed me to rely on a few select friends who became as close as family.

“One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24

A Friend Example

This kind of friendship is a gift from the Father’s hand–like my buddy, Meg, in the picture. We met in 2005 at a writer’s conference before either of us was published. You’ll notice we aren’t wearing fancy clothes or makeup. In fact, we’re straight out of bed on a walk to her favorite waterfall. We know the good, the bad, and the ugly about each other. We can laugh or cry, talk or be silent.

Since moving to North Carolina five years ago, I see Meg only once a year. We text maybe once or twice a month–sometimes less. But whether we live across the country or fifteen minutes away, I know she sees the deepest part of my heart through only a phone call or text.

Friendship God’s way means starting to share our hearts on earth but relaxing into time limitations with full knowledge that we’ll have eternity together.

Marriage Intimacy – God’s Way

If you’re looking for more intimacy in your marriage, there are lots of books, conferences, podcasts, etc. The list of resources is endless, but GOOD and PRACTICAL resources aren’t always as easy to find.

Roy and I went through a rough patch after I took on too many publishing responsibilities in 2018. Three major manuscript deadlines, two book releases, and some big family events left me with no emotional fuel when Hubby was dealing with major struggles of his own. All this on top of ten years in which intimacy had been low on our priority list, and we’d become strangers sharing a house, family, and 25+ years of memories.

A friend recommended Intimacy: A 100 Day Guide to Lasting Relationships by Douglass Weiss (my affiliate link). The book had lots of practical exercises not only to help our marriage relationship, but also to get healthy individually–both emotionally and heart-healthy with Jesus.

Marriage God’s way means growing spiritually as a couple and in our individual walks with Jesus.

(Grand)Parent/Child Intimacy – God’s Way

Y’all know how I love my grand babies, right? I think part of the reason is the inherent intimacy of seeing the child of my child in their little souls. I know them because I raised one of their parents.

Granted, each one is a different human being than their mother–the daughter who we raised. However, because we’ve experienced every stage of these kids’ mothers’ lives, we see the similarities AND DIFFERENCES in them.

Very little shocks us, so we can be the calm in their parents’ storms. When our daughters and sons-in-love realize their precious child isn’t perfect–as we all must realize at some point about our children–we’re there to remind them that we had the same terrible realization about them a few years back. 😀

A Note to Parents With Young Kids/Teens

Intimacy with your kiddos begins at a very young age. Realizing they are little people and individuals, who are on their own journey with Jesus, is crucial.

They aren’t just YOUR child. They are a fallen human that God is pursuing to redeem their soul and bring them back into fellowship through the shed Blood of Jesus! He begins moving in their hearts and wooing them from a very early age.

Of course, we all want to shield our children from trouble and hard lessons, but it’s not always possible–or beneficial. We’re called to train our children, but is it just so they’ll be useful to society? So they won’t embarrass you?

It’s FAR more important than that! Intimacy with our children means helping them understand why they must obey now: in order to obey their Heavenly Father as adults. As they become more comfortable with sharing their hearts with you, their parents or grand parents, they’ll also be able to talk to their Heavenly Father without fear of judgment or humiliation.

Parenting and grand-parenting God’s way means cultivating a relationship with our children and teens that prepares them to love and obey their Heavenly Father as adults.

Earth and Heaven

I’ve heard it said that our intimacy with Jesus is the only thing that frightens Satan. If it frightens away the enemy, that’s reason enough to make me pursue it! I believe intimacy does indeed have that sort of supernatural power–when shared between people and with our God.

There’s a story in Matthew 16 I want us to look at in closing. Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say I am?” He wanted them to look into Him and see His heart–sharing intimately…

Simon (Peter) said, “You’re the Son of God.” That’s when Jesus renamed him Peter (Cephas, which meant Rock) and said, “Upon this Rock I’ll build my church, and the gates of Hell (Hades) won’t prevail against it.” Do you remember what Jesus said next?

“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:19

I believe Jesus was saying something profound about intimacy here. Through the intimate sharing of the deepest Truth ever known to men, heaven and earth was linked as never before. Jesus was the One and Only Son, but each of His disciples–present and future–would be called God’s children and would soon receive the indwelling Holy Spirit who would become the most intimate Companion they’d ever have.

Not only would the Spirit be with them–as Jesus had been. Not only would they experience His “in-to-me-see,” but each person who accepted Jesus’ blood as payment-in-full for their sins would also receive His Holy Spirit as an “in-to-me-LIVE” deposit until the day we see our God face-to-face and intimacy becomes our new reality.

“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12

Today’s Question:

• If you could ask Jesus any question, what would it be? You can ask it in the comments. Or, if you don’t want to share it publicly, that’s okay too. Just be sure you don’t skip over it. Let the Holy Spirit see into the depths of you, and consciously ask Him a question you’ve never asked before.