“If the seeds sown in our heart are truly from heaven, germinated by the Holy Spirit, we should expect at some time to see fruit. And that fruit should look very much like love, smell very much like joy, feel very much like peace, taste very much like patience.”
“The fruit of living a reflective life should be a changed life. The changes should affect not only who we are but how we live, branching from our soul to our schedule.”
The Reflective Life by Ken Gire
My morning routine has gone through a change in the last few months. And not a change for the better!
I had over the past year developed a rhythm to my time. I would wake up early and begin my day in the quiet of dawn. I made time for coffee, the newspaper, and email – but most importantly, for devotions. And it was during these devotions that my thoughts for a blog message were formed. My blog writing was most often a personal summation of my quiet time; a message or reminder to myself. I had no trouble “thinking” of something to write; because God always had a daily message for me and we would “discuss” it during devotions.
But lately I’ve noticed I have been having trouble entering a daily post on my blog. I feel like I have nothing to write; no feelings to express. I wonder why? Could it be because my devotional time has been hijacked by trivial pursuits? Absolutely!
I faced the fact this morning that I have been skimping on my devotional time; I have been putting other things first and then using the little time left over – if there was any - to talk with God. And it shows. It shows in my blog; it shows in my energy level; and it shows in my spiritual life. I have lost my rhythm.
I used to have this image of Sunday worship as being the bass drum of my life. After a morning spent in worship, I would regain the beat of God. That’s what I have seemed to have lost this past month; the beat of God in my life.
So starting today, my trivial pursuits will regain their proper place in my life: after morning devotions. And the fruit of this reflective time will once again branch from my soul to my schedule and I will feel God's rhythm once again.
~~~
Sandy,
ReplyDeleteWe are on the same page. Yesterday, I forgot to feed the fish and birds until mid-morning. I had slept in and was out of rhythm. Today, I was more on it. We need the patterns to our life, don't we?
Enjoy this lovely day!
Matty
Sandy, I guess I'm on the opposite page of you and Matty. I've finally gotten to the point in life where I don't have any structure and I love it. If I want to sit up until three in the morning studying the Bible (as I did yesterday) or spend a half an hour watching the robins in the nest on my porch, I relish it and don't feel guilty (well, maybe a little) that I should be doing something useful with my time. Guess after so many years of a regimented life of have-tos, I am going to enjoy God's green Earth and not take life so seriously. But I guess this philosophy wouldn't work for everyone or businesses would close!
ReplyDeleteJane
I sooooo enjoyed your posting today! Thank you for sharing! Enjoyed the picture of Sunday worship being the bass drum and it setting the rhythm of your week, while your quiet morning times set the rhythm for your day.
ReplyDeleteWow!
The rhythm of life is such a personal thing isn't it. The old saying about one marching to the beat of a different drummer really applies to us all.
ReplyDeleteOr as Thoreau put it:
"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away."