Making Time For God...
Psalm 121: 1 & 2 I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
As we go through our day to day tasks and chores many situations take place that cause many of us stop, consider, and study the status of our life. We often will ponder something, someone, or some situation we come across, and in those moments we consider God’s value in our lives. Many times we are profoundly affected by the realization we come to- an epiphany makes way to enlighten us in these moments. I love these moments in my life, and it seems my life is full of them; when I allow God to work on my mind and heart, “Ah-Ha” moments are everywhere. When these moments occur I want to share, to reach out, and to let others know what God has shown me. Hopefully, together, we will learn more about God's Word and His plan for your life and mine.
Acts
“Noble minded” and “eagerness”… these words cause me some concern. I would not consider myself “noble” in any way, shape, or form. If anything, I consider that this term is a title I would love to achieve, but am still far from. And shamefully I admit that my studying God’s word does not come out of “eagerness” at times. More times than not, my spending time with my Father comes out of urgency or the need to restore order to my hectic life.
My “Ah-Ha” moments come mostly from my overstuffed and messy purse. Well, not exactly my purse, but they do start out with a concern or controversy I am facing, I write my thoughts down on whatever I can grab, and then I end up with a bag full of scrap paper and notes with many of my questions and epiphanies recorded. I have purchased little notepads to write them in, but most of the time I still reach for an envelope or an old receipt to jot them down. I do this so that I won’t forget questions or discussions that I want to share with God. I think it’s sort of like the questions my children have had with me over the years. Some of those questions were easy to answer, like, “Mommy, why is the sky blue?” But then there have been some that pulled on my heart’s strings, such as, “Mom, why do some people not have anything while others have so much?” I think a lot of times that God may consider me spiritually 5 years old. Sometimes my questions are easy for God to answer, while at other times He explains and I still look puzzled and confused. Nevertheless, answers do come when I turn to Him. The problem is what happens when I am not turning to Him.
Psalm 19: 9-10 the fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
Does your life ever seem hectic or full of chaos? Considering that I have 3 children, ages 8, 11, and 14, I teach 130 sixth graders, and encounter about 300 more students each day, I would say that my days can be a little hectic at times. If I mentioned the intrinsic details of the rest of my day (bank, grocery store, traffic, two loads of laundry to fold and wash, dishes to clean, assigning chores to each of them, etc) it would seem even more tedious. I love hearing the question, “How do you do it?” At times, I am not so sure and wish that Calgon would come and take me away; while at other times I feel like Wonder Woman (if only I could find my cape).
Finding balance in our lives is not always easy, but consider this: To search His word for answers requires that I fear God. But even deeper is to fear not having Him. To not have His word to guide my life would be chaos. We must value the Lord above all else; to consider that without Him, we are nothing. To search my Father’s word is to show Him my faith and to give Him my obedience.
While I was considering writing this, doubt crept into my mind and said to me, “You shouldn’t admit that you have trouble finding time to spend with God. What will people think?” But more and more God has shown me that I am not the only one who is struggling… Conversations with several of my friends have reaffirmed that many struggle with “making an appointment with God”. As I walked by a book store after I started writing this, the title of a book grabbed me: Too Busy Not to Seek God! It was one of those “ah-ha” moments when I felt that God was saying to me, “See there. You are not the only one who deals with this.”
Luke
Okay, try this…. Close your eyes and consider what your days have been like recently. Are your days chaotic, hectic, and you feel tired, worn out, and in a frantic mood? Or, are your days hectic and maybe you are tired but you feel a sense of order, peace, and balance? Can you guess which scenario you end up with when you have scheduled God into your life each day?
For me, when I spend time with my Father, there is no questioning what shape my days take. When I first began digging through my purse, my life was feeling a little frazzled. I didn’t feel a sense of balance or peace. I felt nervous, anxious, and unsettled. I shamefully admit that I have been busy, tired, frustrated, and distracted to the point that I haven’t allowed myself time to go to God and talk about everything that’s been on my mind. It was only due to the fact that I started cleaning out my purse and thought, “I’m never going to get rid of all of this scrap paper if I don’t go to Him and get these things off of my chest.” So, here I’ve been sitting with you and God for a few days and trying to figure life out. Little by little the pile has gotten smaller and I am feeling much better, much more secure, more balanced, and more at peace with my life and God’s plans for me.
There’s a plethora of topics that we’ve (me and God) have covered: “God, how do I be a better mother. My daughter is driving me nuts;” “God, how do I talk to my friends who may be straying from being in your presence;” “God, help me to serve you even in times that I feel broken;” “God, protect me and protect my heart;” … “God, help remove my fears and to know that Your plans are good for me.” There are still more strips of paper to search through. If I make it through them all, I will probably have some new epiphany to share with you soon. For now, I am happy with the restoration that I am feeling… I feel refreshed, balanced, at peace, and excited to have spent time with my Father, the maker of heaven and of earth.
Dear God,
Thank you for allowing us to return to you. Father you restore us, give us strength, and protect us when we are following you and spending time in Your presence. Thank you for giving us your Word so that we may come and sit with you, learn of your commands and plans for our lives. Lord, our greatest fear should be not having You in our lives each day. Thank You Father for loving us so much that when we are seeking, we find You waiting for us.
Amen
