Intentionally Relational Rhythms

You are here. Now. Today matters. God is here. Now. Today matters.

I like slow mornings. Saturday is my favorite day of the week. Through experience, I’ve learned in order to get grounded for the day, get my heart and mind set with God, prepare for the battle ahead of me, I need to start quieted and slow. This is my rhythm. This might not be others’ rhythm. This is my rhythm. You have the right to set your own unique rhythms as well—even if they look different than what others are doing. Most often it takes awhile for me to wake up. I usually become more alert with the smell of freshly brewing dark coffee. I take it to the patio and just listen and look at the day. I spend time in the moment. I read Scripture. I journal. I pray. Some days I just sit, quiet myself, and listen.

Today I heard a cardinal that likes to hang out around our place. Yesterday I heard a momma and baby bunny hopping along the path to get water. One day I heard raindrops hitting the patio. Another day I heard laughter from kids down the road from us. Some days it is completely silent. I like those days. I am a person who loves quiet. Over the years, it has grown on me. I haven’t always been this way. In the past, I wasn’t comfortable with the quiet and the stillness. Now this is my sacred space. The time that I intentionally set in my calendar daily to center myself on God. A time without distractions. A time to prepare and focus on the fact that God is all around me, God is in me, God made me, God is with me, God is working on my behalf, God is in control. Most of all, He’s listening. To me. He’s also speaking. To me. But how will I hear Him unless I am quiet enough to listen?

This is why I like quiet and still. This is like my “gym time” when I work on building and routinely exercising my spiritual muscles. It’s when I practice and train mentally, spiritually, even physically on how to sit with God, talk with God, and listen to God. If I don’t intentionally do this, I will be off. If I don’t intentionally do this, how will the relationship grow? If I don’t intentionally do this, how connected will we be? Yes, He’s God and He knows me inside out. But, He needs me to participate. He needs me to connect, interact, and pursue as well. Honoring Him with my time and the desire to be with Him each morning sets the tone of my heart, steers the direction of my life, centers and grounds me in truth (that most definitely I’ll need), and prepares me to love on others throughout the day with His help and strength. I need this. Do you?

Today is important. So was yesterday. Tomorrow will be as well. But don’t miss today. He is right there with you, waiting. God is relational. So are humans. How do relationships flourish? It takes two. It takes time. It takes commitment. I pray that you will find time today to hear what He’s saying to you about how He wants to transform and grow you. I pray that His words will soak into the deepest part of you and that you’d be encouraged.

Reflection:
Assess your life honestly and ponder the following questions:
-Is my life filled with distractions? How do they affect me mentally, physically, spiritually?
-Do I intentionally set quiet and still time in my daily or weekly schedule?
-If so, why? If not, why?
-Do I talk to God daily?
-If so, what does He say? If not, why?
-Do I believe He hears me?
-Where and how do you build spiritual muscle?
-What are some of your daily rhythms that help you practice and train for life by being with God?

Journeying Together,
C