{image from Ms Ladyred's flickr site}One morning I began a new prayer routine…
I set my alarm for 5am, settled into my living room, opened up my journal and prepared for my new commitment to prayer...
I set my alarm for 5am, settled into my living room, opened up my journal and prepared for my new commitment to prayer...
At 5:05am (and I’m not kidding!) my son walked downstairs and sat next to me. It was as if an internal honing device had gone off in him the minute I awoke!
My first reaction was to say “Are you kidding me? This is my time of quiet; this is my time to be alone.” What I did say was, “Honey, this is mommy’s prayer time and I need to take it, so you’ll just have to sit quietly while I finish.”
My first reaction was to say “Are you kidding me? This is my time of quiet; this is my time to be alone.” What I did say was, “Honey, this is mommy’s prayer time and I need to take it, so you’ll just have to sit quietly while I finish.”
Then, an amazing thing happened – nothing. My son didn’t speak; he didn’t move; he just watched me – this one moment did more for my efforts to pass on my faith to my child than any amount of talking that I could do.
So many moments of God’s grace come disguised as inconvenience…
When Jonah was faced with God’s call to serve the people of Nineveh, Jonah saw this as an incredible inconvenience to his ministry, to his level of comfort, and to his willingness to serve. After all, he was spreading the word of God effectively to the people around him, the willing listeners.
In Nineveh, the people weren’t quite as nice. But, it was in fact the people of Nineveh that really needed the message of God at that particular point in time; it was a part of God’s plan.
I like to call it “going with God’s flow.” When I get up in the morning, my words are:
I like to call it “going with God’s flow.” When I get up in the morning, my words are:
“God, let me meet the needs of the people and experiences that come my way today.”
In other words, when my schedule is disrupted, let me take a deep breath and go with it – there may be a gift in the unexpected moment!
Believe me I love my schedule (and don’t get me started on my lists – oh, how I love lists!), but God is rarely found on my lists; so, for this reason I have learned to welcome the unexpected.
With all the uncertainty in the world, here’s one thing we can count on throughout our journeys of faith: the inconvenient events that line our paths. But, what if we really look at these moments in a different way: what if we let our day unfold, instead of dictating every moment, every experience?
Believe me I love my schedule (and don’t get me started on my lists – oh, how I love lists!), but God is rarely found on my lists; so, for this reason I have learned to welcome the unexpected.
With all the uncertainty in the world, here’s one thing we can count on throughout our journeys of faith: the inconvenient events that line our paths. But, what if we really look at these moments in a different way: what if we let our day unfold, instead of dictating every moment, every experience?
Perhaps in the unexpected, is a message from God to you!
Until next time, we take a sacred pause…
Until next time, we take a sacred pause…
