Thursday, January 30, 2014

Solitary Places

Papa hasn't moved onto a new topic with me yet.

Many mornings I have woken up with a particular verse playing in my head and because I am a bit slow on the uptake at times, it has replayed for me numerous times throughout my day.
Then I would stumble across it while reading one thing or another.  There it was, as if Someone had used a highlighter pen. 
I think that Papa might have been getting ready to resort to writing on the walls!
It wouldn't be the first time He has been found doing that, yet I am glad it didn't come to that!

What is this verse which wanted my attention?
It is found in the Gospel of Luke, Fifth chapter, Sixteenth verse.
"But Jesus often withdrew to solitary places and prayed."
Often when this verse would appear I would think that I, too, should do more of this and would fully intend to do just that....

However, we live in a very distracting time.

For many years I had no trouble withdrawing to a quiet place to enjoy some sweet one-on-one with my beautiful Savior.
That was before computers with their email; i-Pads and i-Phones with their texting, Face Book connections and, let us not forget, Words with Friends!

Each morning for years I would rise, put on the water to boil and boot up my computer.
As I sat down with my tea I would  check my email for the latest prayer requests and devotionals.
Sounds spiritual enough, don't you think?

It wasn't a problem at first, but I think it was the first step in drawing me away from where my heart and mind needed to be focused.
I have read that for many of us our attention span has been reduced dramatically by technology.
We can multitask as never before!
But I wonder just how much of great value is accomplished?

As I checked those emails I would discover one reminding me of a bill that needed paying or another that needed a response from me.  They always take my mind down a rabbit hole and those holes do not allow much Light in!

So here I was with that verse rumbling around in my mind and heart and growing louder with time.  I began to feel unsettled and really restless.
Oh, I took time with Papa, of course, but not the leisure time that had been my habit.

The struggle was how to fit in more time to enjoy sweet fellowship with my loving God?

Then the other night I recommended a book to a friend.  A book that I had worked my way through a couple of years ago and had thoroughly enjoyed.  I had shared my adventure with it pretty extensively here.  The Artist's Way by Julie Cameron.

The book's goal is to help the reader find their inner, creative child and it did do that for me.
Trouble is that I have been neglecting that child quite a bit as of late.
All in the name of being responsible!

Well, after mentioning this book it wouldn't leave me. 
So I gave it some thought.

One of the activities that I engaged in was the writing of morning pages.  The idea is that you do this first thing every morning before anything can distract you or influence your thinking.
I loved it.

For many years I have been journaling and this was simply an extension of that.

Last night I felt prompted to begin this once more. 
That meant no turning on the computer or any other technology until I had written for half an hour.

Let me tell you that Papa and I had a lovely conversation!
 What a gift!

Know what?  Everything else seemed to fall into place after that.
He ordered my day and showed me where to focus my attention.

 Oh, Papa God, how wonderful and faithful You are!
Thank You for drawing me back into that solitary place with you!




 

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