On an ordinary day, or on a stressful day, we each have our defaults of where we go, where we look to for renewal. And I keep learning ...
There are so many choices of where to go. The choices really are unending ... we can pick up our phones, spend time on a hobby, plan our next vacation trip. Go shopping, treat ourselves to our favorite flavored hot coffee.
And I have done, and keep doing all of these. And each of these are good choices at times. Each of these choices can bring renewal and refreshment for a while.
But what if our default place to go is the one choice that is always available, that satisfies in the deepest places? What if our default place to go when we need renewal, is to go to a Person.
These words from Psalm 119:114 (MSG translation) have come to my mind often in recent weeks. What if we would pause in our busyness, pause in times of unsettledness, pause at the end of the day, or in the middle of the day, and go to this ultimate source of renewal. What if this would be our first choice, the very first place we would turn to?
Quieting our hearts, pausing our activity, and turning our thoughts to Him, spending time with Him, listening to His life-giving Words ... this is our true source of renewal. This is what we are made for, to be loved by Him.
And this deeper joy will then overflow and affect everything else, giving joy to our ordinary days, our good days, and our stressful days. The cup of coffee will bring deeper refreshment, the tasks at hand will be given deeper purpose, the writing of a note to a friend, or the writing of a blog post, will overflow with more creativity, more love. The time in our kitchen will bring more joy, the tedious tasks of cleaning or fixing will be accomplished with a lighter heart.
What are your current top choices of what to reach for when you are longing for something more, when your heart is unsettled?
Above all else, may we reach for Him, the source of everything we need, and everything we long for.
If you are needing some encouragement and some deeper insight in how to draw closer to God, how to make time for what is most important, here is a suggestion ...
I read through this very thoughtful, encouraging book seven years ago when it first came out, and also just read through it again, very slowly, this summer.
I highly recommend it ... click here: Whispers and Wildflowers.
(For more posts on this topic, click the page tab at the top of my Pursuing Heart blog: "Above All Else".)
