It was the first traveling vacation my husband and I have taken for quite a while. It was glorious!
Although we had a group of us on the trip - each day everyone did exactly as they pleased and if anyone got bored - there was always a rousing game of euchre or 'oh heck' going on. I won in euchre but was a disaster in the other.
All that to say, the Lord knew exactly what I needed and He graciously gave it to me.
It's easy to be so busy that you miss your life, your God opportunities, being fully engaged and getting proper rest. That was the cycle I've been caught in for a while now. I'm not a victim, I allow it and quite frankly love it. I love to work and communicate and to see what I can help to create. But this cycle breeds stress and tiredness.
So as I packed for vacation I knew I had a powerful book or two to take - reading is how I unwind, and I was able to read as much as I wanted to on this trip - couldn't put them down and God used them in a mighty way! Ortberg is officially one of my favorite authors now!
I want to spend this week writing a little about what I learned each day - I'm still trying to process it all. As I read I realized I was nearly empty - my soul was weary and begging for focused renewal.
Let me explain this important fact I learned, the difference between busy and hurry from John Ortberg's book.
Being busy is an outward condition - it occurs when we have many things to do.
Being hurried is an inner condition - a condition of the soul. It means to be so preoccupied with my life that I'm unable to be fully present - unable to occupy this present moment. I cannot abide in God with a hurried soul.
And I realize I've been hurried for a very long time. The beginning of the end to hurry started this week - I engaged with my Savior like I haven't for a very long time. The longing in my heart can only be filled by Him and NOTHING else. I know all of these things in my head - but my heart, my soul was not satisfied with all the hurry so I really want to continue taking steps in abiding...
For a number of years I've claimed I Corinthians 9:26 & 27 as my life verses and one of the books I read on vacation talked about how important having a life verse is - so here are mine.
Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way as not to beat the air;
but, I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
Who would have thought that one of the greatest lack of disciplines we could have is to hurry?
No comments:
Post a Comment