It’s a been an absolutely wild two weeks. I returned from Australia jet lagged and hoping for some quality rest and family time. It would turn out that Jerry, who’d been feeling a bit under the weather, began suffering from a high fever that ran for days. I ended up with a husband in the hospital and my three children to wrangle for the next few days.
Yes indeed, the past two weeks have been one incredible adventure at the Shirer household. Between school projects, homework, a husband battling pneumonia and much more of the regular stuff that fills all of our lives, I was zapped. I found myself totally exhausted everyday when I put the kids to bed around 7:30pm. It was all I could do, to collapse on the couch for a few moments and hope to catch up on a few unfinished household chores before putting myself to bed around nine.
On these busy mornings, without the usual help of my husband to press through the busyness of getting everyone ready for the day, I would awaken to an earlier-than-usual alarm clock and launch into a never-ending list of daily activities and events.
I found myself missing opportunities to be alone with God. When a moment of solitude did arise, my 18 month old would awaken early from a nap or the boys school would call with some concern that would require me driving to the campus to attend to it. I just couldn’t seem to have a quiet time in the conventional way – the way I like it – alone, quiet, hot tea, open Bible, worship music.
My first inclination was to just wait until this bumpy patch in our lives passed before getting back into the swing of things. But then I was concerned that while this patch might pass, there was no promise that another one wouldn’t soon arise. This was life – unpredictable, busy and always full. I needed to have some unconventional means of meeting with God. So, I decided that I’d better start meshing my quiet times into the regular rhythms of these crazy days, or God and I might not ever speak again.
And that just would not do.
So “quiet time” has become unconventional.
When the alarm clock went off one morning, I lay still for just a few moments, talked to God and listened for his voice speaking to me. While the kids ran through the sprinkler after school one afternoon, I prayed. While I sat with my fussy toddler who wasn’t sleeping well, I quoted Scripture to him and to myself. When I made dinner . . . well, ok . . . when I drove through Macaroni Grill to pick up our dinner, I meditated on a passage I’d been memorizing and asked God to use it to direct my actions and thoughts for the rest of the evening.
Meeting with God in these unconventional ways and at these unconventional times was. . . refreshing. It sparked an exciting new adventure with God that awakened me to an awareness of His presence all throughout the day.
I’m wondering what unconventional ways you’ve met with, and spent time with, your Lord. It’d be great to be reminded that while we might long for extended periods of quiet in a comfortable setting of solitude, we don’t NEED that in order to hear from God and remain connected to Him.
So, how have you met with God recently?
Priscilla
