Where Are You?

This question, coming from God is not a question to which He needs an answer, but you do. He knows exactly where you are. That is why He is calling it to your attention. Ever been so absorbed in thought or your cell phone that you bump into objects or people? Or find yourself pulling into the parking lot of your job or the driveway of your home, but cannot recall the journey there? You were on autopilot. Sometimes we go “auto” on God. We do our church routine; we have it down pat. We can do it with our eyes closed, and sometimes they are! But is that a good thing?

The Retreat

Boy, did I need a break! First year seminary is tough for anyone, but at 71 years young it was mental calisthenics. No rest for the weary from early September to late June. Out-of-state family graduations began before the semester was over, and of course, I had to visit my new great-grandson in Maryland. I was still full throttle even after the semester ended.

Needless to say, I was looking forward to a couple of days of rest at a church convocation I was invited to attend. Convocation, though it was, I was planning to retreat to my room to spend some uninterrupted time with the Lord when I was not in scheduled services. And I did just that.

About My Father’s Business

Just about everything I do is centered around Christ and teaching his Word in one form or another. Even after spending time preparing, studying, and teaching, I longed to be singularly in God’s presence with no interruption, no other responsibilities. And thank God I had that time alone with Him at the convocation. Time to pray, to sing to Him, read the Word, sit in silent meditation.

Then it came.

The Vision

I woke up abruptly. It was 3:16 a.m. on Tuesday. I slipped into a quiet worship. It was my last moments with the Lord before joining the rest of the congregants later that morning. After the morning worship, we would leave and head home. Almost immediately, a scene flashed before my eyes. It didn’t linger; it was quick, a single picture, but flooded with meaning.

The Picture

There I was in an old-fashioned wooden rowboat. I was out on the waters, lying on my back in the boat, looking up at the sky, admiring God’s beautiful creation. The cloud formations were captivating and seemed to continually evolve right before my eyes. The alternating clap of the waves gently rocked the boat, rocking me into a peaceful sleep. I slept, I don’t know how long, but when I woke, there was that big expansive sky to greet me. The cloud pattern had changed, yet it remained as majestic and unique as the clouds I saw previously. I thought about the greatness of God and the glory shown through His creation. The waves continued to rhythmically rock the boat as if they were applauding God’s handiwork. Before I knew it, I drifted off to sleep a second time.

I woke suddenly, but this time I sat up in the boat. I could see Jesus on the distant shore, making unrecognizable motions with his hand towards me. I knew he was saying something, but I could not hear Him. We were speaking just a minute ago, it seemed, but now he was much too far away. I could not hear Him. I must have drifted.

I reached for the oars to paddle my way back to Him, but I had forgotten to put the oars in the boat. Having no intentions of leaving that spot on shore, why would I need them? So, there I was out of earshot, still drifting further away from him with no easy means of getting back to him.

The Meaning

Drifting

Although I had dedicated my life to living for Christ and learning more about Him, I made those accomplishments substitutes for being in His presence. Oh yes, I prayed, led prayer groups, had several Bible Study groups, but I talked and taught about the God I put second to all the things I was doing for Him.

The Current

I was in the boat, consumed by the goodness of God and my service to Him, that I was oblivious to the effects of the undetected current that was at work below the surface, negatively impacting my proximity to Jesus. The current was the force that created the distance between Christ and me, but I was too busy to notice.

The currents, the good things I was doing that consumed all my prime time, were silently pulling me away from spending needed time in God’s presence. I was so engaged with the good things I was doing that I would allow them to interrupt or usurp my time with God. Instead, I communed with God on the way to doing something else, telling myself He understands the load I have and He knows my heart. I found the time to complete all the good things I was doing by abbreviating my time with God.

One of the consequences of not spending time with God was that I began to second-guess my next steps, even when I would have otherwise had clarity. I had drifted out of range, making it harder to hear Him.

The Oars

The oars symbolized communion with God; the communion one should have with God daily to navigate life. I had the written Word in me through Holy Spirit, but I needed to plug into the satellite that fed the navigational system, that being God, the Father. John 5:19 tells us that even Jesus had to plug into the Father to know his next step. Although initially I was in proximity to Jesus, I should never be without the tool that would get me back to him in case of separation. That tool, being the communion of prayer, comprised a two-way communication system.

The Message

The ultimate message was for me to get back to the fundamentals of spending time with God. He was and remains my Subject. I may have been captivated with the artistry of working the canvas of life, but God is the Subject. I cannot afford to overly focus on the background and lose sight of the Subject.

My Next Steps

I left that moment with clarity, knowing I had been given a reset. I was grateful that God loved me that much to pull me back to Him. My responsibilities did not change. Working to get an “A” in every course in seminary did. It is no longer my goal. My goal is to learn what I don’t know and share that with others. There’s nothing wrong with a “B” as long as I walk in concert with Him. I left my personal retreat knowing God would guide me in prioritizing my tasks and budgeting my time.  

So Where Are You?

Have you been occupied with endeavors that have stolen time from you and your Savior? Oh, they could be good and worthy of your time, but have they repositioned Christ to second place? Is something or someone else sitting on the throne in your life where Christ should be? You need not confess to anyone, but you need to be honest with yourself. You may not perceive the activity or person as a distraction, and perhaps in the beginning, it was not. But it now consumes you, and everything revolves around that thing or person, making it a detraction from time spent in the presence of God. It is time for a reset.

Where Are You? …….He is Waiting.

You Waited by Travis Green

 

Note: I use God and Jesus interchangeably throughout this writing.

Featured Image “Rowboat” by Alexander Gresbek