If your summer is like most folks’ summer you were busy! It seems like we all try to cram in the most fun in the least amount of time – especially when you have family. School is out for only so much time and with our eldest heading off to college (yes, he’s already there), we wanted to spend some quality time all together before school forced us all to go our separate ways.So we headed to southern Colorado. We enjoyed a tranquil setting to say the least; with a plethora of picturesque photo opportunities at almost every turn of the road. No television, no Internet, and not much cell phone activity either – just a lot of time practicing our social skills. Taking hikes and drives through the mountains and trying to catch our breath at 8000 plus feet of elevation. Barely staving off altitude sickness (since we went from around 700 feet above sea level to over 8000 in one day instead of the 3 or 4 days recommendedJ), but having a blast.
It is interesting how much our fast-paced world impacts our lives; it normally takes 2-3 days for me to just “relax,” but after I do the feeling is immensely pleasurable. We usually don’t even realize the need for solitude and relaxation in our lives, but when we finally get a taste of it, we can’t imagine how we’ve done without it for so long.
So too our spiritual lives. We often get busy with living life and trying to do the best we can for our families, the organizations we enjoy, and sometimes even the spiritual side of life. Then, when we finally have that divine encounter, or “God moment” as a few folks call it, we suddenly realize that we have been missing something important. Whether you have been raised in church your whole life or feel like God isn’t a big part of your life, those moments when God seems so near cause us to realize there’s more to life than just “keeping up with the Jones.”
The Scriptures do tell us that God really cares about us; so much so that he allowed his only son, Jesus Christ, to pay a high price for our debts (John 3:16). Even though we did not ask him to do it, God allowed his son to die on a cross for us so that you and I might have an opportunity to know God as he longs for us to know him. The neat thing about God though, is that he never forces anyone to follow him—it’s always our decision. And if we do make that decision to connect with God on a deeper level—the free gift of that relationship provided for by the death of his son—is ours.
You may not be able to sneak away to southern Colorado for some downtime, but I pray today that you’ll be able to break away for a few moments and seriously consider the value of what a deeper relationship with God could do for you. I know he can’t wait to hear from you!
