I loved Jill's story and it made a big impact on me when she told it to the group.

when I discussed it with a friend, though, she found the idea almost obscene. Quoting Song of Songs at her didn't seem to change her mind. What do other people think?

My big question to Jill was - it's great to have this kind of relationship with God when you are single and your time is your own - but what about when you are married with children? Small children? Any ideas?

I've never experienced God's love in quite the way that Jill has and, I have to admit, if I was up 'til 4am being romanced, I'd also have to have a supernatural injection of energy to get me up with the kids at 6am! Er, maybe not! Anyway, I feel as close to God now as I ever have, but it's a deep and steady type of thing - different seasons and all that. Just as good in its way ... or am I' 'settling for less'???

I think with any relationship there are seasons. There are times where you spend time together day-in-day-out and then there are times when you see each other every few days - there is still communication but you don't spend as much intense together. There are the nights where you talk long in the early hours of the morning about things that reeally matter to you - or anything or everything.

Just as man woo's a woman so God woo's us. There is something attractive that guides us to Christ - similarly something attractive that guides us to Christ. You can be so in love with Him that nothing matters - someone once said to me that I would not let a man whisk me off my feet because I was so in love with God. At the time I thought 'too right' but actually - the act of being in love with God is that you give time to things that are important to him. Children are important to him, what is going on your life is important to him. The Holy Spirit can woo you using the day-to-day.

If you had a candle lit dinner everynight it would no longer mean anything. But having them on special occasions - means something. THe nights i have spent with God into the early hours of the morning - have meaning. The way I worship on sunday's doesn't neccesarily have the same meaning. But should those moments of corporate worship - the holy spirit woo-ing the church have as much significant meaning?

(rambley thoughts)

When I read Brother Lawrence's 'Practising the Presence of God' I did have a couple of weeks where I managed to involved God in my every day life and really knew his presence. It's not that he's any further away usually - it's just that I was constantly reminding myself he was there and inviting him to speak to me by sending little arrow thoughts/prayers to him throughout the day. But practice is right - you have to keep doing it!

Hi there and thanks for your comment.
In answer to your question about having this kind of relationship with God when married with children, I believe it is possible in any season of life. The way you experience God intimately may take on a new look with less time and more tiredness... but the source of it all for me and anyone else is a hunger for the heart of God and the 'pleasure' found in His presence. You can experience His presence driving a car and listening to worship music, walking the dog, bathing your babies etc.... it is not limited to a time or place or season. King David had a heart for God's presence and it is what the Psalms are all about, yet he had a lot on his plate too!!! Just be real before God and when you open your heart to ask Him to take you to a deeper level of initimacy, He will take you there by His Spirit. Sometimes it is as simple as consciously turning your thoughts towards Him and responding in your heart to whatever He shows you about Himself..... God knows what you have to take care of and responsibilities you have!
At this moment in my life, I do not spend whole nights awake in His presence, He has taught me to enter that inner sancturay at anytime..... and it has become more of a lifestyle which affects my everyday life, conversations etc and enables me to respond to the guiding of His Spirit more. Hope this helps. God bless you!

Hi there. Thanks for your comments on my story.
It is true that there are times, just like it is reflected in the marriage relationship, where we want to spend all our time in His presence and it certainly does not take away from the times which seem harder, dryer and take effort to keep going.
For me here in Thailand, I believe God spurred my pursuit of His heart at a very important time. Thailand is a very dark place spiritually despite the incredible physical beauty of the country and being called here has meant many sacrifices and very hard times. That together with the tsunami and what I was to face, I believe God drew to this place to teach me how to live 'in' Him rather than just for Him which I had been doing before. The lesson was one of pure pleasure and although I do not spend whole nights awake with Him much now, I have learnt to enter His presence at any time and experience that deep spring of living water that satisfies every part of me and induces such pleasure that living in this place, has completely changed my life. I am sure others would describe the same thing differently and this intimacy is for all of us but I epxerience worship now at Church as an expression of this passion rather than as the place to receive it and instead of finding the pleasure and filling the sense of lack I often have elsewhere, I turn to the one place I KNOW will satisfy.

Dear Clare,
When I first read his book it inspired me but the practice of it was another thing altogether.... Infact it is more like what the Word says "Being transformed by the renewing of your mind' It is so important what we think on as it either induces faith or it doesn't.... which is the very substance of our walk with God. So the practice of turning your thoughts to him often is the best place to start but the Spirit needs to come and make it real to you and He will especially when He sees your hunger! Like I said in response to other comments, it has become a lifestyle for me and though I may have the odd night when I just cannot sleep for desire to drink more of the Living Water, I can enter that place at anytime. Even now, I sense His presence and His love all around me and my response to that is what leads to that experience of pure pleasure. Saying this, throughout all the time that I have consiously entered His presence, His Word has become more and more alive to me. I studied theology at UIniversity and left without knowing what books were in the bible!!!!! Now however, I have an understanding and passion for His Word that cannot have come any other way than supernaturally! I bring my bible everywhere, read it and very often when I have spent time in His presence, I seem to just understand things I did not before! Jesus is the Living Word and so it all makes sense.
Take care and God bless your pursuit of His heart, or rather His pursuit of yours!

and it's great to see you online all the way from Thailand! Isnt' this better than a boring old book? Thanks also for your comments - what you say makes a lot of sense and I know someone is trying to teach me something here. I'll definitely ask for the intimacy you are talking about. Actually, I've just remembered that one of the Christian women who inspired me most as a young Christian because of her prayer life started praying in depth as a young mother, so it must be possible. Take care and keep us posted about what you're up to in Thailand if you are able to...?