I began working on a 500 piece puzzle yesterday.
Now, a measly 500 pieces may not sound all that impressive, but bear in mind this is a small, 3-D, 500 piece puzzle of the solar system, containing very little variation in color. Equipped with full strength reading glasses, the task still felt a bit daunting.
Puzzles are fickle. Just when you want to throw them across the room for having searched and searched for a matching piece, viola!, that piece shows up, invigorating you with a fresh dose of ambition to look for the next illusive piece.
I must admit that in my impatience, I tried several times to fit a puzzle piece where it didn’t belong. It looked mighty close, and I barely had to push to make it fit. But I knew it didn’t fit, I was simply fooling myself. In other words, I wanted to do the puzzle, I just didn't want to take the time to do it right.
I do the same thing with God sometimes. I know the proven way for me to feel the closeness and assurance of my Fathers intimate presence in my life is to spend time with Him. To be quiet, to be still, and to listen.
Too often I’d prefer the quick and easy way, to listen to a speaker, read a quick book, or even sing a song or two. But then, I am only riding on the coat tails of the experience of someone else, rather than allowing God to enter my own experience with Him.
In her book, Strengthening the Soul of your leadership, Ruth Haley Barton says the following…
One of the things I know for sure is that those who are looking to us for spiritual sustenance need us first and foremost to be spiritual seekers ourselves. They need us to keep searching for the bread of life that feeds our own souls so that we can guide them to places of sustenance for their own souls. Then, rather than offering the cold stone of past devotionals, regurgitated apologetics or someone else’s musing about the spiritual life, we will have bread to offer that is warm from the oven of our intimacy with God.
The way I figure it, just like my puzzle, I can pursue God hurriedly and get it wrong, or I can set aside time to seek Him well, which promises the much sweeter reward.
Shepherds, please share your favorite ways of spending time with God.
This is something I can really relate to. I busy myself with being a parent and a wife and often tell myself that it is okay because that is what I am "called" to be doing right now. Some of my best time spent with God has been recently when I was training for my first 5K. Running while listening to worship music is fantastic (when done outdoors, not on a treadmill). The race has come and gone and I have not ran since. I need to get back out there! It is so awesome to feel that sense of accomplishment while praising God and all the beauty around me.
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