(In the countryside of Macedonia.)
On the Race it’s often difficult to set aside time to get away with God… To quiet oneself, to separate oneself from distractions, to focus oneself… to simply sit in the presence of Jesus and let Him fill you… During one of our team feedback sessions in Romania, my mentor had a word for me… That God was calling me to simply come away with Him… I understood what he was saying and completely agreed…
Throughout our next month of ministry in Bitola, Macedonia, I found a lot of time to come away with Jesus… He spoke to me in the quiet and inspired me… It’s been my most fruitful month for composing new songs so far….
On our last day in the city, I went with one of my teammates to the top of a hill overlooking the city. To be honest, all the way to the top, I was regretting having promised to go… My mind was racing through all the things I need to do before our travel day would begin the following day….
(Trail up the mountain.)
So, as we chatted and trekked up the mountain, I kept noticing that nagging feeling of aggravation… It’s hot, there’s already too much to do, I don’t have time to take a stroll through the mountains to smell the flowers… Yet, I remember telling myself before beginning our walk, it’ll be worth it! And, as it turns out, yes, it was far more than worth it!
(View from the top.)
At the top of the hill, I stood once again in awe of God’s beauty and grandeur…! The clouds were perfectly fluffy and white, surrounded by a brilliant blue… The plants were especially green and danced in the wind, as the barbed wire fence lined the perimeter of the field… I was once again humbled…
I was overcome with this strong urge to pray and praise God. So, my teammate and I spent several minutes in prayer, thanking God for all that He brought us through and expectantly thanking Him for all the more things He has for us in the months to come. I’ve felt exhausted most of the Race and, to be honest, can count on one hand the number of nights I’ve felt rested after sleeping… During our prayers, I felt the tears flow down my cheeks, out of a sense of humility… Again, I was in awe of God’s beauty and grace and felt that in that moment He was right there with us, holding us, filling us with His love…
I began to feel saddened by the fact that I haven’t taken time to get away with God more often… To separate myself from the busyness of life, to meet Him on the mountain top, at the water’s edge, or simply in that empty room…
How many times do we make excuses? Believing there’s more value to being busy than to sitting at the feet of Jesus? We haven’t time for God, yet all of Jesus’ life was spent on our behalf… We don’t take time for Him, yet when we pull ourselves away from everyday life, He speaks Words of wisdom, comfort and peace, into our very lives. I imagine this is what eternity will be like… more sitting than doing… more words of wisdom than knowledge… less busyness for the sake of being busy…
And, so with you, I am challenged to heed that still, small voice, beckoning me to come… come away and find peace…!
(Looking out over Bitola, Macedonia.)
