Well, it's the beginning of a New Year, and like many of us, I've been thinking about some new goals and resolutions for the year. There's something refreshing about the thought of a new calendar and a new slate. I think that's why people don't suddenly get inspired to turn over a new leaf, say, in June. There's something natural about writing a new number in your checkbook and deciding to change your exercise habits, don't ask me why. This year, I'm not planning to start exercising. =) There are too many other things of importance that I'll be facing this year, and I'm trying to narrow down my list to things that I think are really necessary and doable. High up on my resolution list is "Be a good mother." In order to get that item checked off (ha!), I know that I need to do something more concrete, less nebulous, more targeted. And that thing is making sure I have a daily quiet time with God, somehow. When we were in Birmingham, having a daily quiet time wasn't so hard for me. That was because I was really hurting, and I was seeking God for answers. I was so hungry to hear from Him, and I just wanted to know that He was there, and that He had plans for us. Quiet times were necessary to my survival, so I was regular with them. I did Beth Moore studies on my own, and I also did two years of Bible Study Fellowship. Unfortunately, peace and prosperity haven't been so good for my quiet times. I'm happy, and I've found it harder to be so hungry for the Word. It isn't fun to admit, but it's true, and I know that I'm not totally alone in this. I need to get back that sense of hunger and need for the Lord that I had when times were tougher. Happiness is distracting, and that is why I think God sometimes lets the sky fall on us. That way we remember who is really in charge and how fleeting our temporal happiness with earthly things actually is. I don't want the sky to fall again; I want to learn how to focus on Who is truly important without that. And I know that I will soon be facing challenges as a mom that I can't handle without God. I want to get back in the habit of seeking Him so that communications are good with us when those times come.
Last night, our caregroup at church broke into our accountability groups to talk. Our other accountability group members weren't there, so we crashed another accountability group. =) Though we were talking primarily about being in God's presence, that led to talk about how to get there, and that led to discussion about regularly having quiet times and prayer times. It was nice to find out that we all feel the need for help in this area. =) Nobody was happy with their current quality level with quiet time, and it was nice to know that I'm not alone in that. So I got to thinking about practical ways that I can improve with meeting God and focusing on him, even when I have a small, squalling infant.
For now, I can make sure that I take the time to have daily Bible reading on my own. Mornings are bad times for this for me because it takes me a while to wake up, so I have to find another time that works better. I've been doing well with this since the New Year, and I can tell that it's helping me get better connected to the Lord. But there is more than that that I'm going to need when I'm sleep deprived, and when I'm cleaning up spit-up. So I started thinking about a little book that I've read a few times. It's called "The Practice of the Presence of God," and it's by a monk named Brother Lawrence. The book is about 300 years old, and it's very short and simple, but it's simplicity is profound. Brother Lawrence was an ordinary cook at a monastery. He wasn't copying Scripture or coming up with profound spiritual concepts. But he found something that transformed his life. He practiced the presence of God in his daily walk, no matter what he was doing. "As a humble cook, Brother Lawrence learned an important lesson through each daily chore: The time he spent in communion with the Lord should be the same, whether he was bustling around the kitchen- with several people asking questions at the same time- or on his knees in prayer...This is the art of 'practicing the presence of God in one single act that does not end.' " Basically, he formed the habit of talking to God throughout the day, all day, no matter what he was doing. He said it was hard to get started at first, but then God's love refreshed him, and it became easier. When he felt overwhelmed, he simply asked God for help, and he felt revived. The idea is that of continuous communication with God.
I practiced this some in college after I first read the book. I would go to the cafeteria and pray silently for people I noticed. I would pray for a few moments on the way to class or in my car on the way somewhere. It was really good, and I did feel the presence of God more in my daily activities. But somehow, I got distracted, and I stopped taking time out during the day to pray. Prayer time became a specific time that I carved out instead of regular communication while doing the dishes. I would like to get back to more continuous communication. I don't know about you, but Brother Lawrence's example is inspiring to me. I highly recommend that you pick up this little book and find some refreshment and inspiration in it for a New Year lived more practicing the presence of God.
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