A Needed Time for Quiet and Reflection

Last week I returned from vacation and hit the ground running!

·         I got home and headed right to the office to finish prepping things for Sunday worship.

·         On the day that we returned by aunt and grandma stopped by for a bit to pick up my uncle (who’d joined us at the lake).

·         Later that evening some good friends of ours from Illinois came for the weekend.  Thankfully the house was clean before we left for vacation!

·         Our cat developed a bladder infection, leading to many loads of laundry, carpet shampooing, trips to the vet, and administering antibiotics twice a day.

·         I had the usual fun of bill paying and budgeting after being gone for a couple weeks.

·         Shannon ended up going for her monthly chemo not just on Wednesday (all day), but also on Friday (since she had an allergic reaction to the drug…see last week’s blog post).  She then began her ‘sleepy time’ which hits after each treatment.

·         Shannon’s business launched a new website (which had been in the works since last fall), which meant many calls to our web developer to work out the bugs.

·         A magazine ad for Shannon’s business got goofed up, meaning that I had to coordinate the corrections between a graphic designer here, the magazine, and the manufacturer in Hong Kong.

·         The yard and garden made me feel guilty every time I looked at them since I didn’t have time to mow the lawn or pull weeds.

·         In the midst of it all, Shannon and I celebrated our 20^th anniversary.

Too much!  I simply ran from one thing to another, shifting gears without a clutch.  Things felt out of control.  I tried to take some time for daily devotions, but they often got hurried because there ‘was so much to do.’

Then on Thursday evening I came to Peace for the new weekly ‘Gathering for Music and Prayer.’  It took a bit, but I found that I could live in that moment.  The world slowed down.  I joined in singing simple songs.  I heard Scripture.  I enjoyed moments of silence where I could focus on God’s presence.  I lit a candle, remembering what God has done in my life.  I prayed for friends, family, and neighbors.  For the first time all week, I felt a sense of peace.  Simply setting aside a block of time where I knew I couldn’t do anything else made a huge difference.  The craziness of life re-emerged when I walked out the door, but I felt able to entrust it all to God.

I enjoy a busy schedule, but sometimes things get to be a bit much even for me.  Quiet time with God brings perspective to a crazy life.  God remains in control.  I can fall into God’s loving arms and know that everything will be ok.  I am thankful that Carol Purcell and Brenda Szuberski have decided to coordinate the ‘Gathering for Music and Prayer.’  I got to come, not as the pastor to lead things, but as a fellow traveler on the journey of faith.  I highly recommend it!  Thursdays at 8:00 at Peace!