By Gina Caswell Kelly
I am a walker. I have been a walker most all of my adult life. I am curious about how many miles I have walked. I could probably estimate it, but looking back, I wish I had logged my miles so I would know how many miles I have actually walked. Walking is good exercise for me and my dog, Trip. But it is also kind of therapy and prayer time for me. I think we all need some sort of an outlet. Some sort of time to draw away from everything going on around you. And I guess that is what Trip and I do every morning. In the quietness of the still dark early morning, there is not much noise. I love that solitude. That time of looking at God’s gorgeous night sky and thinking about how amazing it is that He created all that and still thought the world needed me and Trip to be complete.
Jesus drew away from the crowds many times. He also needed the peace that solitude gives. He needed that quiet time alone with His Father. Blaise Pascal, who lived several centuries ago said, “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” I can agree with that, to a point. We do know people, and you may be one, for whom alone time is too much for them. There has to be some noise, some activity, just something happening for them to be able to stay put. I think this year’s law about no cellphones in our schools is putting Pascal’s theory to the test. We live in a world with too much noise and too much stimulation. We need to follow Jesus’ example and draw away, not to be alone, but to spend time with the Father.
Even as God in human flesh, Jesus prioritized time alone with His Father. Imagine what “good” He might have been doing with all those hours. But Jesus chose again and again, in perfect wisdom and love, to give His first and best moments to seeking the Father’s face. Why would we do anything less? Time with the Father is like a flowing stream at our feet. It is like a gentle breeze on a warm day. It is like finding shade when the sun is too much. It is that time at the end of the day, when we can sit back and relax and put our feet up, and in my case, allow Trip to lay on my chest as we recline on the back deck and gaze out at all God has made for us. It is the most perfect part of the day.
When life is swirling around you, don’t get so caught up in it that you lose sight of the Savior’s face and His calling on your life to sit quietly, or walk in solitude and listen to His voice. Take the time each day to spend time with our Lord. Oh what a difference it will make!
