Taking the Time

I really am not sure what I want to say here today. I am flying by the seat of my pants and haven't carefully considered what I wanted to focus in on today. I guess I feel a bit of dissatisfaction with myself for going so long in between postings...again. I know that I am pretty tough on myself. I have plenty of reasons for having been busy and unable to stop and think. In the past three weeks we have lost my husband's grandmother and traveled to Kansas for her funeral; then we drove two days to North Dakota for a cousin's wedding, and back again; and now I am frantically attempting to catch up with work, which I do from home; and in two days we will be throwing a birthday bash for my husband. Of course, the next day we will drive back to Kansas City for another wedding.

Life doesn't slow down for any of us. Each day presents challenges and new tasks all it's own. Sadly, I know I sometimes default on the most important things, because I'm just "too busy". Things like taking the time to nurture my relationships with those most valuable to me. We get short with one another, aggravated with the little insignificant happenings, and we loose the connection to one another, for the moment. Often, if left unresolved, we start to feel the distance growing, like a huge gray cloud parting us.

I think I get that way with God, too. I get busy. Then something irritates me and I place blame wrongly upon Him, for something He never did, or at least never intended for me to experience. Then I feel the distance growing and I think, "I'm just so far from Him right now..."

The beauty of the Father is that He is always ready to get back on track with us. It is our place to stop what we are doing, take a break from "being busy", and live in the grace that He has already given. All we have to do is close the gap.

I am reminded of the story of Hosea in the bible. Hosea deeply loved his wife, a former prostitute, and even when her heart was divided, Hosea never gave up on her. The story mirrors God's love for His people, Israel. Within the chapters of the book of Hosea, we get a beautiful picture of how deeply, passionately, the Lord yearns for His children to return to Him and be undivided in our love and devotion to Him.
                           ⁴ The Lord says, I will bring my people back to me. 
                  I will love them with all my heart; no longer am I angry

                  with them.
                  ⁵ I will be to the people of Israel like rain in a dry land. 
                   They will blossom like flowers; they will be firmly rooted 
                   like the trees of Lebanon.
                  ⁶ They will be alive with new growth, 

                     and beautiful like olive trees. 
                    They will be fragrant like the cedars of Lebanon.
                  ⁷ Once again they will live under my protection. 
                    They will grow crops of grain 

                    and be fruitful like a vineyard. 
                   They will be as famous as the wine of Lebanon.
                  ⁸ The people of Israel will have nothing more 

                    to do with idols; 
                   I will answer their prayers and take care of them. 
                  Like an evergreen tree I will shelter them; 
                  I am the source of all their blessings.

                                                                          Hosea 14:4-8

Taking time each day to reflect upon His goodness is worth it. The clarity of who I am in Christ brings to me a better understanding of how to deal with the rest of my day, and how to relate with love, patience, and peace to all the others that I treasure. I am ever thankful that Christ calls to me to return to Him and receive what He so graciously longs to give.