“when things slow down …”

What a misnomer.  I guess I am really starting to realize that.

But, we live by those words.  “When things slow down, I will call that friend….”

“When things slow down I will play more games with the kids….”

“When things slow down I will have more time to…..”

But I listened to a sermon on my trip to NC, and the pastor said that we need to tell ourselves often: “Things never slow down, until you die.”

So I have been pondering, how can I apply that wisdom to my life?

Well, I will be in Maine in a few short days.  I hope to spend some time, lots of it, being still and listening. 

How often do we stop and listen?  How many of us actually likes the sound of silence?  And yet, I serve a God who often whispers into my heart.  How can I head a whisper if I am surrounded by meaningless (sometimes) noise?  Simply put : I cannot.

I need to be in the habit to find time each week to be alone and quiet.  Daily is not realistic for this phase of my life with four young children, but the phase when daily quiet moments abounding around the corner.  I need to carve out this time aside from my daily Bible reading and my prayer time, this needs to be something more than all that, I think.

I hope to find some moments next week.  I may need bug spray to battle mosquitoes.  I may need to go to bed early to beat my children up in the morning.  But my goals is to make that time a priority.  I hope to catch up on some much needed Bible reading, to sit and listen and talk to God.  Talk to him like I would a friend who I have really missed talking intimately with.  I mean, I do talk to him daily.  But life is going so fast, and my time is so short that it is not that intimate, meaningful conversation, instead it is the “hey, how are you?  I hope you are holding my hand all day as I deal with ……. please help me with patience and faith …….”  and so on. 

The kids and I have been having a fabulous trip so far.  Great days with my uncle and aunt, lots of fun in Mississippi.  Now we are thoroughly enjoying The Lewis family.  We are going to even welcome home one of our friends as he arrived stateside this weekend from Iraq!  Great timing for us!  Then we are on the road once more.  This time we head out of NC and after 1 overnight stop somewhere we will finally arrive in Maine, for some much needed relaxation and adventures!!