There Is a Place of Quiet Rest..

I was spending time earlier today praying, reflecting on life, refocusing myself... I was struck with the vivid memory of being 10 years old and riding my bike to the top of a trail near my house with my best friend, Jennifer. We would go to our "secret hideout" once or twice a week and talk and explore and eat (we ALWAYS brought food... who knew when we might get lost and have to survive on our own for days on end?!). Anyway... I remember sitting on a rock, looking out over this small valley, and talking about how long our days seemed... how our moms always said "cherish the time you have"... "where does the time go?".... "enjoy your youth, life seems to get faster and faster the older you get"... and I remember laughing with Jennifer as though we couldn't believe that to be possible. And yet, here I sit, so often asking "where did the time go?".. feeling like I don't have enough time to get things done... seeming like life is just flying by and I'm holding on for the ride...

But God calls us to stop.. to listen.. to breathe... to wait... to rest.. to be patient...

to be still...

He wants us to spend time with Him, to focus on Him, to be able to shut out the busy-ness of the world and this life and REST in Him... I know I don't do that often enough. I get so caught up in spending my time DOING my Father's work that I neglect spending my time WITH my Father. May we take the time daily to spend quiet.. peaceful... still.. time before and with God. May we allow His words to saturate our hearts until they are overflowing with love from Him... may we be able to sit on a hill, overlooking a valley, and laugh at the pace the world calls us to keep up with... may we take the time to spend time with our Maker, our Savior, our Lord.

Go.. Called... Move... Send

God of Justice (We Must Go)
by Tim Hughes

God of Justice, Savior to all
Came to rescue the weak and the poor
Chose to serve and not be served

Jesus, You have called us
Freely we've received
Now freely we will give

We Must Go live to feed the hungry
Stand beside the broken
We must go
Stepping forward keep us from just singing
Move us into action

We must Go

To act justly everyday
Loving mercy in everyway
Walking humbly before You God
You have shown us, what You require
Freely we've received
Now freely we will give

Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out Lord
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There have been very few newer songs as of late that have stirred my passion and burdened my heart as much as this song. I wept over these words and the smallness of my faith and my heart on Sunday night. We must go... He has called us, we must answer. We must give of our lives, our resources, our time, our love, ourselves. Christ chose to serve and not be served... we are to follow His example. He came and sacrificed Himself so that we could stop trying to make reconciliation through animal sacrifices.... we are to follow His example. I spend a lot of time in study... study of God's word for myself, for my bible study, for school... I read a lot of theology and apologetics book... I lead a bible study.. I spend countless hours in church or discipling other Christians... but when was the last time I really sacrificed anything? When was the last time I loved someone so much that my heart literally broke for them? When was the last time I really wept over the scripture that I read and let God saturate my heart with His words and His truth? When was the last time I really did something without some sort of selfish, self-centered, or begrudging thought? When was the last time I "lived to feed the hungry, stood beside the broken"? When was the last time I truly felt stretched outside of my comfort zone? When was the last time I completely followed God's voice in doing something totally out of my normal character or nature? When was the last night that I couldn't sleep because I was so burdened to pray for others? When was the last time my heart in worship kept me "from just singing" and moved me into action? To use a phrase written by a dear friend a few months ago... "I have not the love for Christ that I need".

I Must Go... my heart breaks for God's people.. but not enough
my heart yearns to study His word... but never enough
my heart desires to reach out... but not often enough

We Must Go...

Jesus, You have called us...

Move us into action....

Fill us up and send us out Lord.