...{Jesus} said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest. Mark 6:31
I had a date this weekend.
With the Creator.
He displayed his majesty in breathtaking ways.
I awoke to this view (above) each morning.
He had been waiting...
Quietly waiting for me to put aside the busyness of life to notice His splendor.
Christians often use the phrase "God showed up" when referring to a big event or retreat. What a ridiculous statement.
He's always here, revealing himself to us. We're the ones that forget to show up. Actually, we often forget to just look up.
I have been so consumed with the here. The now.
Creating a worship of my time toward the insignificant. I had become so blinded by the necessity of the immediate that I had forgotten the promise of the eternal.
On a grassy hill overlooking the lake, I voice words of love toward my Creator. I lift my eyes and notice his gift of a world that is breathing His glory. Spending time in his masterpiece of creation quiets my soul. He brings me back to those things that truly matter :
His gift of life.
His promise of abundant life found in Him. Quiet truth is difficult to hear over the static of a busy life.
The Lord your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.
~Zephaniah 3:17
He will quiet me with his love.
A quieting of my mind.
A quieting of my to-do's.
A quieting of my discontentments.
A quieting of my soul.
A quiet, restoring love.
In that quietness I am gifted the promise that He, the Creator King, takes great delight in me. I have goosebumps. He delights in me as a mother delights in the tender laughter of her child.
His gift of an artist's brush painted across the evening sky on the final evening of my date with Him.
11 comments:
What an absolutely beautiful post, every word, profound.
Thank you.
Nancy
I needed this today. I need to have a quiet date with my Creator, too. I am so caught up in the NOW of what I have to do that I am missing the special moments with Him. So glad you got away. Thought of you this weekend.
i was wondering how your time was this weekend! i'm so grateful to hear how the Lord made Himself known to you. rather, how you recognized & embraced His presence!
being still & quiet is so incredibly counter culture, isn't it? we are taught that it's a big waste of time, and whenever i believe that lie, it leads me to "do" rather than to simply "be." (welcome to the story/struggle of my life!) so thank you for this beautiful reminder of the precious treasures that await us in the stillness.
oh & random request: can i make a personal addition to the ridiculous phrase category? i'd like to add "answered prayer." b/c God ALWAYS answers our prayers! sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes it's no, & sometimes it's wait. but He's always answering -- in ways that bring glory to Him.
can i get an amen??
(*steps down from soap box*) ;)
As I sit here reading this I look across the room from me at a wall hanging that says, "Come with me to a quiet place." "Mark 6:31
It is so easy go get consumed with the here & now, what we don't have, what we have & wish we didn't, what we need to do/want to do, who we need to tend to, and the noisiness of life (how can He quiet me when I'm too busy/loud to hear Him?!) I love Zeph. 3:17!!!
Glad you had this time to reflect & enjoy being with Him!
The world--and too often, the church--says that to DO is more important than to BE. That was not, however, what Jesus said. Sounds as if you took time this weekend just to BE with the Lord--to abide with him even has he abides with you. Good for you! And I know it was good for you!!
Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful thoughts and stunning photos. Heart-filling, they are.
gretchen, your 1st & last photos are so beautiful... sunlight & the Creator... a perfect combination (of course He is perfect even without sunlight!) and your words, your visit with God... thank you for sharing. beautiful.
Beautiful post friend. So glad you got to soak in Christ by getting away and spending time with the only one who can fill us up again!
My mama was there and had a wonderful time with God as well.
Love, love, love this! Sometimes I am too caught up in my circumstances, begging Him to show up, that I fail to realize He is already there.
this post makes me so happy!
you are so right! i often think about how his fingerprints are everywhere-all over my days, i have to ask him to give me eyes to help me see.
oh and your pictures are glorious. the fog over the water-that is just almost too much beauty to behold!!! what a treat!
beautiful...thank you for sharing :)
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