TAKE TIME TO STOP

One morning recently, while driving home from Murphy NC, I started thinking… “I have really got to slow down”. I was driving the speed limit but in my mind and life it seemed my “internal speedometer” was reading 90 miles an hour. Life can get that way before you know it. It can become a habit if you are not careful…. knowing how to “STOP”, get in the moment and “recalculate” takes a measure of disciple and a sense of reality to know it is going on. Unless it is “checked” you can get in a MESS!

Back to my moment, as these thoughts were racing through my head, I put a CD in and it was just what I needed to hear. My soul was being soothed. I wanted to take more of it in. I actually had no where to go, no where to be and no one needed me at the time. So as I drove up to the red light (how apropos for the moment!...that wasn’t a mistake). I looked both ways and cut it to the right, taking the road to the Dam at Lake Nottley. Just 5 minutes away, I approached the parking area that gives you a wide open view of the lake and the mountains in the background. How relaxing!

The music was playing rather loud. Hey! no one was around, but me and God! It became a defining moment, that to this day, I look back on and remember. It was as though I could hear God saying, “Where have you been? It’s been a long time." I could feel my body relaxing, getting into a state of rest, that I had not had in a long time. I could not believe how I had let “stuff” clutter my life, taking up my time ruling and having the potential of keeping me from the real things that matter…like spending time with the One who created me and who cares for me. It turned out to be a time of solitude with the One who loves me and I love more than anything or anyone. We had a talk and I became reassured of Who I Am! From the words of the song that was playing, I was captured and drawn back from the busy life I had developed. I had thought those things were so important and that I had to keep running like running on a treadmill, driving it hard and fast until it started to consume me.

Looking around I thought, it has been a long time since I had stopped to let myself take in the beauty that surrounded me, resetting my mind to the things that keep me focused and on course. As I sat there, this verse came to mind, Isa 26:3 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” That was what I have needed for months and it was here all the time.

I went away that day feeling a sense of Renewal in my heart, a refreshed feeling from visiting with Father and hearing Him express Himself to me. My mind was re-set to Col. 3:2 “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." Just this morning a portion of the song I heard that day came to my mind it goes like this… “I know who I am, I know who I am, I know who I am, I am yours and You are mine”. It was like a “telegram from God” saying wake up “baby girl” now lets get started we got places to go and people to see” living My life through you is easy because “My yoke is easy and My burden is light” so lets go out and have an awesome day! YEAH….. WHAT A LIFE!