Take A Minute
“After Leaving them,
He went up on a mountainside to pray”
Mark 6:46 (NIV)
The second half of 2023 has been incredibly full. To be completely honest, over scheduled. So much so that a friend gave me a gift - “The 60 Days to Come, '' which represented a hectic schedule of mission trips, speaking engagements and fundraisers. Yes, those were plural. Her intention was to encourage me, send me a bit of humor and let me know she would be praying. Her gift was humorous, however, her prayers gave me strength and helped me persevere.
During the middle of this season I tucked away a full day of silent reflection and prayer. The morning I set out for my day of rest my mind began to tell me “you don’t really have the margin for an entire day of solitude, reflection and prayer.” My heart knew differently. It was tempting to shorten the day to a few hours or modify the plans I had made to care for myself. I longed for a deeper connection with God than my morning ritual of bible reading and prayer was providing.
So on a beautiful fall morning I drove to Eagle Ranch in North Georgia and without an agenda gratitude filled my heart. Grateful for our God who calls us into special times with Him. I began with a walk in the woods and a deep desire to be alone with God. It didn't come easily until I sat down, looked around, and allowed my mind to become completely quiet. To nurture intimacy with my Heavenly Father, stillness and quiet from all the business in my life was the first step to take. Within a few minutes of finding complete stillness I wrote these words.
Today, I took a minute to clear my mind, heart, then my soul
A minute to quiet and pause
A minute to notice the leaves falling
I took a minute to the smell the forest and see the sky so blue
Time seemed to stand still
Oh, my heart, mind and soul were so relieved
I took a minute today
Although I have never dabbled in poetry, this explains my experience as seeking stillness ushered in a wonderful day spent with God. It became obvious as I sat in the woods alone how much I needed to find stillness first before finding a sweet connection with God through prayer and reading His word.
I know for many the holidays bring fuller schedules, extra travel or company, and social commitments. I want to encourage you, find time and open space to nurture your relationship with God.
Below are a few ideas to help you slow down, avoid busyness and be intentional for deep connection with our Heavenly Father family and friends:
Physical Self Care
Sleep, exercise and diet - we already know the important role this plays so just a little reminder
Schedule Time Alone with God
Yes, put it on your calendar! I have several already scheduled for 2024. If this is something new to you, there are organizations that provide perfect settings.
You can also spend a day at a local park or your church may allow you to use a space during the week, be creative!
Honor the Sabbath
A few years ago God showed me the value of taking a true Sabbath day each week. To my surprise I did not have a biblical understanding of what honoring the Sabbath meant. Only when I put into practice what my study of the Sabbath revealed did I learn to enjoy honoring God through following his direction for rest. I didn't realize how far away my “Sundays” were from what God calls for.
Dear God, thank you for calling us to (Exodus 20:8-10 ) rest as you did (Genesis 2:2-3) and for giving us an example through Jesus’ life on earth (Mathew 8:23-26, Mark 60:30-32). Your word guides us to enter into Your rest (Hebrews 4:8-11) and reminds us that rest is good for our spirit, soul and body. We thank you for caring about what is good for us. May we grow closer to You and know You more fully when we practice resting. Thank you for loving us so well. Amen
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