Ten Places I'd Like to Be
10. With my mother, who is cruising down the Yangtze River in China right now.
9. Enjoying the food, ambiance and culture of Tuscany.
8. On a beach, soaking in the sun, hearing the soothing sound of water rippling in the background.
7. In a remote mountain cabin with nothing to do except sleep, read and sit by the fire.
6. Spending an afternoon with any of the amazing women I call my friends.
5. Playing around with my family for at least two weeks without thought to how much it would cost.
4. Having a leisurely dinner with stimulating conversation in a great restaurant among good friends.
3. Anywhere, alone, with my husband.
2. In my bed, under a cloud of blankets, for however long it takes to feel rested.
1. Exactly where I am, smack dab in the middle of God's will for me.
I wonder, can I be fulfilling His will for me when I am dreaming of being somewhere else? Why is escape so appealing? Could it be God has wired it into us so we run to Him?
I couldn't sleep last night. One of my kids wasn't feeling well and was laying on our bedroom floor tossing and turning. It had been a busy day and I thought, "C'mon, God, this is too much. Haven't we done enough today?" I wanted to escape, but knew if I left my bed, my daughter would wonder what I was doing and never get to sleep. I felt trapped. Since I've been trying to train myself to stay in bed and redeem the time in prayer instead of getting up and wasting it some other way, I dug my heels in and held on tight. I was tense and exhausted, even feeling a little nauseous when I said, "Okay, God, I don't know why we're here again, but I'll start praying." I was so tired I didn't have the energy to think of specific prayer requests, so instead I prayed, "Lord, make yourself real to ____________________" and filled in the blank with nearly everyone I knew. After about ten minutes of this, I felt my body relaxing. The pit in my stomach went away. The concern and frustration I had over my sick child subsided.
Entering His presence WAS the escape. What would I have missed if I had gone downstairs and messed around on my computer like I wanted to, instead of entering the holy sanctuary of Him? Sweet Peace.
Do you want to run away? Have you tried escaping to His presence instead? It's a lot cheaper and more meaningful.
Escaping to exotic locations for extended periods of time--thousands of dollars.
Running into the arms of Jesus whenever necessary--priceless.
8 comments:
What a great thought! I'm always wanting to escape,whether through shopping or eating or reading... How great to think that God's presence is our way out. Maybe this is something of what it means to enter into his rest. Thanks for the post.
I guess it should be easy for me to spend my restless time when I can't sleep, asking God what it is , I need to be learning. Maybe I'm afraid of the answer. Or maybe he'll reveal himself to me. But like usual it won't get through to me till later. But thank you I will try the things you have. You are an inspiration to me.
I think this is your best post I've ever read!!! How often do we day dream about getting away? How often do we realize we can escape through Him? You're wisdom is overwhelming!! Thank you for this post! It truly was PRICELESS!
Tami~
LOVE this blog! :) It's so freeing to know we don't have to spend a million dollars to get away and get refreshed. How cool is that? :) We can just run into His arms wherever we are whenever we need to. I needed this one today. Thanks. :)
We all need "sanctuary" don't we? Being in the presence of God is crucial, and I've also discovered a little retreat I love: the bathtub. My car is the other "escape hatch." In both places I can read the Bible or pray and be refreshed.
I also love this: With my mother, who is cruising down the Yangtze River in China right now. Now that sounds really exciting!
That's wonderful!
Ah, yes, Tami. This is such an important message. We are all susceptible to that feeling of wanting to run away. How many of us are aware that if we don't channel that desire in the right way, we can be led down a very destructive road in life? Great reminder for us all.
Visit my blog today if you can... I'd like you to respond to today's question. And, I'd like to maybe use your post from today in a book I'm working on.
there ae so many times I wish I could just shrink out of sight. So no one would know that I was there. That wouldn't solve anything. The problem would still be there. It's so refreshing to know that our God can reach beyound all our misgivings, worries, fears. Into our solitude, pull us into his loving arms . And help us cope with what the world has to throw at us day by day. You are a God send and awe inspiring.
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