Abba time

These days, I often don’t remember the entire gist of a message, but I do often take a memorable morsel with me. Neal gave a beautiful anecdote today in staff worship. He talked about how much he cherishes the time he gets to spend with his kids in the morning. He wakes up early and makes a hot breakfast for them, and they eat together in their breakfast nook, looking out over their backyard. This peaceful time is the beginning of the day, where afterwards the kids race off to school and recreation, and Dad off to work and business.

How much does God cherish the time we spend with him? God must be thrilled to sit down with God’s children, listen to our dreams and hopes, our thoughts and feelings, and our fears and doubts. What a wonderful time to be connected and centered before being sent into the world for the day!

Sometimes when I pray, I almost consider it some kind of obligation, especially before I head out to work in the morning. It has become part of my routine. Routines are great when you want to make sure you do something important, but routines can also become mechanical and lifeless – just going through the motions.

Routines go in seasons for me. I need the structure, but I also need variety within that structure to maintain vitality. Messages and realizations like today’s renew my mind, resurrecting life from lifeless places. Why do I do this prayer thing every morning? Oh, yeah!

What ways do you keep your sacred time with God vital? I’d love to hear them!