So today has been a day unlike any other during the summer. It isn't a bad thing. This weekend my cousin got married and family came into town. It was a great time! My roommates left for the hometown for the weekend leaving me at my place by myself. After my family left this morning, church and a two hour nap, I found myself super bored!! So what was I to do? Generally I will just waste time. I posted earlier in the summer on wasting time. Instead of watching TV or searching the web, I went on a walk. I won't state where I live because I fear for my safety, but it takes me about 15 minutes from my place to walk downtown. I thought it was longer but I guess not. There is something so peaceful about just having some alone time to yourself among God's creation! It is truly breath taking. I enjoyed my walk downtown. Since I work 8-5 during the weekdays, it is hard to even get time to enjoy yourself without being exhausted. The Lord is still teaching me something here and I have yet to figure it out. Patience I guess. But today was good! I had two hours down by the waterfront to just enjoy myself. I am reading John Piper's Desiring God and in a few more chapters I will be done with the book. My goal is to try and get it done before Real Life Summer Retreat since the evenings will be a video series on Piper's book at the retreat. I didn't plan it this way :) I am trying to get a lot out of it. Something that has been on my heart the whole summer is to get that quiet time that is so hard to get during the schoolyear. Well...that has yet to happen. I will use work as an excuse when their shouldn't be one. The two hours I had today "by myself" where the best I've had all summer!! I don't consider myself a loner (except for tonight) but I realized that I do need more of this time to myself. In Acts 2:42 is says the believers devoted themselves to the following. (1) The Apostle's teaching, (2) Fellowship, (3) Breaking of bread, (4) and prayer. I don't believe the order matters but one without the other is useless. This is great for community and I am so thankful that I have that here in Corvallis. But alone time is important also. In Matthew 6:6, Jesus said,
"But when you pray go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."
I don't always pray in my room but I do need to shut the door, and do it in secret. Downtown was great today. Summer barely comes in Corvallis but when the sun is up, I've found my secret place :) We equally need both community and alone time. How are we to do that? I had a buddy tell me he had to open his Bible before he went to bed so that when the morning came he would read God's Word. I've tried this, and of course have failed. Some suggest doing it first thing in the morning, so say before you go to bed. I don't know what is best, that is between you and God. I know for me if I don't devote morning time to God, my day goes many ways. Morning devotions should include both the Word and prayer. I find myself either doing one or the other. In Desiring God, Piper shares of how George Muller started his day. George would always start his day in prayer. He states the first thing a child of God has to do morning by morning is to obtain food for his inner man. This inner food is not prayer, but the Word of God! This is super important!
So what did I learn today? It depends. All I know is that I am hungry for God's Word. There is always time for it. Today I could have made a lot of distractions and ignored God, but I chose not to. It of course will be different from day to day of course. My prayer is that a daily routine will be born from this day forth. I pray the days I wake up tired, that God's Word will give me peace and rest of the whole day! I pray their will be more days like today where I can just get away alone. It was amazing and I am so glad I was able to. There is something special about entering that special place with the Lord. Once you experience it, you hunger for more. That is where I am at. I hope the same can be said for you :)
