I do not have a traditional "quiet time" with God. Since I am confessing, I will further tell you I do not have a set time each day that I sit down to spend time with God. There are very few "quiet" moments in my house. I do, however spend many moments with God each day studying here and there, seeking Him everywhere I go. I grab what I can, when I can, and am grateful for each minute!
When the boys were babies, I could not even find a time to be alone, (not even in the rest room) much less time for serious bible study. Then, I would read to them from bible stories and pray with, and over them throughout the day. I was also blessed by a mom's bible study, where you could come, "homework" done or not, to learn and to be inspired by godly women.
Just last year I struggled with my inconsistent study habits. I was concerned I was missing out spiritually because I was not disciplined enough to devote a set time each day. I was struggling to finish preparing for the studies I was involved in, and I could not keep up with my summer computer study with my girlfriends. I was feeling like a spiritual failure.
Last summer our family went to the Christian Life Conference in Montreat N.C. Nancy Ortberg and her husband, John, were the speakers. Her husband has published many great Christian books, and he was good speaker, but Nancy really made an impact on me. She shared her experiences as a mother and how she struggled with a morning "quiet time". The expectation of this time for her was "boxing in" God in her life, compartmentalizing Him into one special time.
She learned that you can connect with God in many other ways, throughout the day! She connected with God by watching her children play at the end of an exhausting day, realizing just how much she loved them. She then heard God whisper that the love she was feeling for her children was only the tip of the iceberg of the love He has for her. As she was speaking, tears were flowing down my face. It's OK not to have a "quiet time"!!!!! I can still connect with God in other ways! Once this realization came to me, it was such an incredible relief! I began to have not so "quiet time" throughout the day. I pray, sometimes for survival, in the morning, later read a quick devotional before heading out the door. I pray, and sometimes sing a praise song or two with my youngest while we walk the dog. (If the boys are ahead of us on their bikes-I could be praying for strength to keep up!) I see God in my children, husband, friends and loved ones; or in the beauty of a mountain view or sunset. There are so many ways to connect with God all day long! And I have found because of these connections it drives me to find the time to be in His Word.
"What a joy to realize that from the time we wake up in the morning until the moment we lay our head on the pillow to sleep, we have been given a variety of extraordinary ways to connect with our extraordinary God" (from Nancy Ortberg's book, Looking for God)
Dear God, Help me to let go of rigid schedules, as all times, can be times with You! May I find you in unexpected places. Your love for us is so amazing that I can not quite grasp how huge it really is. May I be blessed by seeing You in others around me! You are in my friendships and in my children, and in the many blessings You have given. Thank you for "invading" all the parts of my day so that I can connect with You- if only I seek You out. In Jesus Name, Amen
Ephesians 3:18 "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ."
"to love another person is to see the face of God" Les Miserables
Genesis 33:10b "For to see your face is like seeing the face of God" ( Jacob reunited with Esau)
James 1:17 "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows"
3 comments:
Thank you for your blog! I too struggle with the same thing. I am working on a Bible study on my own now. It is supposed to be daily but there are often days I miss. Especially now that it is summer. It is The Purpose Driven Life...a 40 day study that may end up being a 60 day study. One of the things it says is almost a quote of what your friend told you. "Worship is not a PART of your life; It IS your life". It is not only your daily quiet time with God, it is also praising God in everything you do....dedicating everything you do to pleasing God. Another quote from my book is "Worship is far more than music and going to church. Take your everyday ordinary life-your sleeping, eating, working, walking around, playing, life-and place it before God as an offering. Work becomes worship when you dedicate it to God and perform it with an awareness of his presence".
After reading that, it appears to me that you spend your entire life worshipping God. You really are a good person and I'm very glad to know you.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I don't know if you realize how much your blog touches others...and magnifies your light by sharing God's word. I really needed to hear those words today, as it is a helpful reminder to enjoy God's blessings throughout the day--as He is always with us and his blessings are abundant in our day to day happenings. I wear the James 1:17 verse on a bracelet 90% of the time, I absolutely LOVE that verse. It is a wonderful reminder that every gift, every event, every flower, friend, situation...is a gift from God and part of His plan for us. Thanks for brightening my day and reminding me to seek God in all parts of it...again!!!!
Sadly, sometimes the more Christian books we read, the more we get twisted up about how we're supposed to lead our Christian lives. I remember talking with CK about this one day....how do you characterize these books?....Christian self-help?!
Jesus did leave His disciples from time to time to have quiet time, but that wasn't a directive from Him. "Thou shalt have quiet time!" You just won't find that. And, frankly, Jesus didn't always get His quiet time, either. How many times was he interrupted? "He had compassion on them" we read as Jesus looked upon the many crowds gathering. (I am so reminded of my children beckoning me....and TRYING to have compassion--LOL!)
Thank you for the affirmation!
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