I am fascinated by the human design.

The way that our heart, mind, soul, body, and spirit interweave together to make us whole is truly amazing. Each aspect of our design is so interconnected that when one is fractured, it deeply impacts the other.

But one of the most beautiful parts of our humanity is the way that we are multi-dimensional beings. In the midst of all our thoughts and feelings, there is a spirit within us that is not bound by the earthly realm.

The Spiritual and Physical Realm

I encountered God at a young age and it woke something inside of me that has lingered throughout my entire life. It was my spirit. I felt a deep yearning, a longing for something more than anything the world could offer me. It was a hunger for the Perfect love and peace of God that I found in His Presence.

It is as if our spirit has always known what we were made for.

But pain is a powerful thing and over the years it has weighed my soul down with a heaviness, keeping me consumed with the physical realm. Pain keeps me entangled, bound, and wrestling with lies and fears. It makes me feel stuck in my humanity and trapped by the laws of nature…opposing the very existence of my spirit.

There is a realm that I was made for; my heart knows it, my entire being aligns with it, and my spirit soars when given freedom in it – the spiritual realm. I am exhorted to walk in this realm, to keep my eyes on it, and that Life flows through my veins in this unseen realm of heaven.

And yet, my feet tread heavily in a realm that feels more real and bombards me with its responsibilities and engagement. The physical realm is the one that I can see, touch, and taste so clearly that I am often tempted to believe it is the only realm that exists.

One of my greatest challenges as a believer has been learning how to stay engaged and connected in two entirely different realms.

How do I stay connected to matters of the heart and humanity and yet walk in the spirit?

I wrestle with the temptation to only believe what I can see and feel. I love authenticity but so many times it keeps me complacent, and it often keeps me justifying the physical realm. Although I may feel validated, I am not empowered or set free from it.

The Throne Room

Recently during worship I closed my eyes and heard Jesus whisper, “You’ve been pretty consumed with the physical realm lately….”

The words hit me deep as I could immediately see the trail blazing behind me of all the things I had been obsessing over the past few months. He was gently placing a “mirror of the bigger picture” in front of me; while asking how’s that working out for you.

I often forget that my soul does not have to be bound to the realm of pain and suffering.

Throughout the past few months I had forgotten what it was like to be surrounded by Him, and how real the kingdom of heaven truly is. I had forgotten how easily I can enter in, as a Daughter of the King, and that I’ve had access all this time. I had forgotten that I had a spirit inside of me that is a vital part of my existence and it needs to be nurtured.

The throne room shifts dimensions. 

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in the time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

Sometimes we find ourselves just waiting for Him to rescue us. To invade our world and come crashing in to answer all our prayers in the physical realm. But He’s been waiting for me to enter into His throne room and find the grace I need to be empowered to live whole. He has given us full access to Him.

My dimension enters into His. My pain, tiring efforts, putting one foot in front of the other; gets to lay at His feet and find Rest.

My soul is weary because it hasn’t been marinating in His Presence. 

Even though I may have been doing and praying the right things, I didn’t seek Him out – create space to sit – lay on my floor and wait – open up my spirit to listen to what He wants to say.

It is in the throne room of His Presence that the gift of eternal life is breathed into my very being and it transforms everything.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33

Sometimes I am not actually seeking the kingdom of heaven first because I am consumed with my physical realm. My values and priorities become misaligned and I fight harder for my bills to be paid than my heart to be pure. And I get weary, discouraged, and confused. My spirit deflates and recoils because it is no longer being activated for faith. Striving and performance have kicked in, and I feel the restless need to prove myself.

When Our Worlds Collide

When our realms collide it can be messy. Keeping my spirit alive in the midst of painful experiences is the epitome of dimensional living.

A few years ago, our family packed up everything to follow a hunger in our hearts to move to California and attend a ministry school. We lived in a state of what others might call a reckless faith and trusted God in radical ways.

There were days that we didn’t have groceries, yet somehow they showed up at my doorstep. There were days that we couldn’t pay a bill – and miraculously the exact amount was handed to us in the nick of time. This was happening so often, that I wanted to track it so I grabbed our calendar that hung in the kitchen and each day I wrote in red ink the ways that He showed up.

It became my gratitude journal and every night before bed – no matter what kind of day it was – I passed by that calendar and fought hard to write something for that day. Whether it was in monetary gifts, in the gifts of friendships, in an encounter, or in answered prayers.

Not a day went by where I couldn’t see Him, because I was seeking to find Him.

But also on that calendar, I wrote in black ink the realities that were still happening. Our phones were disconnected. We missed out on some special events. We took some hard blows and even over drafted in our account and had many questions. So many times it didn’t make sense – we couldn’t pay rent on time, but we had a $100 gift card to Starbucks? We didn’t have phones, but we ate an amazing steak dinner with friends.

How could I hold in both hands the heartache of loss and the miraculous evidence of His Goodness? It messed me up. That calendar revealed the heart of God like I had never known before. He is Faithful even when He doesn’t show up the way I think He should. He is Present even when I would never have found Him if I wasn’t looking so hard.

He is another Dimension.

While I am living here consumed with all the things of my life, He comes and shows up with an entirely different set of rules. He comes with a Kingdom of Heaven where love is the currency and the most valuable commodity is in the unseen realm; the inner world.

Nurturing Our Spirit

As we become whole, our walls come down and there is a fluidity inside that allows our spirit to freely influence the matters of our heart and mind. The Holy Spirit becomes a permanent guest, whispering life and truth to our entire being.

As we heal, our soul becomes courageous enough to allow our spirit to soar.

When I feel overwhelmed by the *stuff* in life and things shift into a gear that is consumed with the physical realm…it is a good time to read the Word.

It is so profound how the Word of God is able to unlock the physical realm in me and awaken the spiritual realm.  The Truth validates my soul in a way that makes me feel seen and known, yet pulls me up and out of it. 

It validates my soul, while awakening my spirit. 

The truth aligns me inside so that my soul rests, and my spirit rises.  There is nourishment in the words that speak to my pain, yet utter freedom from it. Marinating in those Words, and being with the One who wrote them is how I learn to live the way that I was designed to live.

We can live authentically inside of our skin, and still allow our spirit to navigate how we respond. Our feet are walking in the physical realm, but heaven is our home.

We can nourish our spirit by washing our hearts in the Word, and creating space to be still in His Presence. Recognizing that the pain and hardship we are facing is temporary – and that He is not bound by its realm. Our spirit will remind us that there is a Bigger story – an eternal picture – that is still moving on our behalf.

Heaven is my home and the earth is where I place my feet.