It bothers me that I need the Lord every day because I don’t necessarily have time for Him every day. Not the quality time I imagine everyone else spends with Him. I have this picture of my spiritual heroes up at 4am sipping their hot beverage with their Bibles on their beautiful wrap-around porch overlooking their lake shore property. There are no interruptions because their perfect children are asleep in bed. To show his pleasure, God sends a beautiful mist to hover over the lake as well as a graceful swan for dramatic effect. It’s glorious. For them.
My mornings aren’t anything like that. I drag myself out of bed hoping that the boys will be asleep. My oldest has the energy of Tigger from the moment he opens his eyes until he passes out and always has, unless he’s sick. People need breakfast. Dogs need fed. I used to believe that the ever elusive romantic ‘Quiet Time’ the Lord desires was just another way for me to disappoint him. Then one day while I was throwing a little bit of a fit after being interrupted for the 6th time while reading my Bible, he reminded me that he would meet me where I was. Even if that was in the kitchen. Or the bathroom. Or vacuuming dog hair up off the floor. Or driving the kids to class.
My children were given to me by God. He knows how demanding raising a family can be and the season I’m in. He’s well aware of my schedule…the stuff that’s important and the stuff that’s cluttering up my day.
O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise…you are familiar with all my ways. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn (or if I stay in bed until the sun comes up), you’re already there waiting.-Psalm 139:1,3,7-10 NIV and The Message (emphasis mine)
Bible reading, scripture memorization, devotions, getting up early to spend time with the Lord….all of those are really good things, but we can’t let those forms of worship rob us of the intimacy He offers us today by allowing his Presence to be enough. He loves helping out with the laundry. He loves the prayer time in the shower. Turns out he’s not really picky about when or where we acknowledge Him as long, as we do…every day.
Have a beautiful day!
So beautiful, and so true…I myself have 6 kids, and I understand and relate on so many levels. God taught me this very thing about a year ago as I use to get mad at my kids for taking my time with the Lord away, or I would beat myself up when I didnt get my Bible and prayer time in…one day I wept as the life of raising children consumed me for a few days, I was 9 months pregnant with my 5th baby when He spoke…”Miriam, nothing brings me more joy, than when you worship Me by caring for your children”….thats it, I all this time WAS worshipping and spending time with Him, not the way others may, but this is MY way, special just like He made me to be. That brought so much peace to me and my children as they see me reading the word and praying with peace, and grace, not screaming at them with a Bible in hand…..
I totally Agree… i think the term “Quiet Time” needs to go… it implies that one must have time that is quiet to spend time with the Lord… and what does that have to do with spending time with Jesus anyways? All the time I spend with my husband is certainly NOT quiet, though i do cherish the quiet evenings where we sit together doing nothing (very rare and treasured times) but they mostly involve conversation and action together. I am finding that the more i acknowledge the Presence of Holy Spirit in every thing I am doing in every part of my day, then i find myself having quiet moments with Him here and there, conversations here and there and a sense of camaraderie and shared experience.