I have struggled to stay focused on my quiet time with God at home, so this past week I tried something different. My day job is two blocks from the beach, so I packed up my books, journal, and bible and left for work early. As I ventured toward the beach just after 7am, I couldn’t help but smile at the beautiful sunrise. The sun was reflecting off of the water, and there were a few joggers out. As far as I could see, I was the only one spreading out at towel at that hour.
I spent some time praying, reading my devotional and journaling. On one of the mornings, I finished journaling with some time left before I needed to head back, so I sat there singing worship songs. My prayer closet was no closet at all. In fact, I had a better, more personal time with God on a public beach, out in the open, than I do in my own house. Sometimes my distractions at home are far greater than where there are seagulls and people passing.
Friday, as I was reading my devotional, a man came jogging by. He paused to ask what I was reading, and after discovering that it was a “Christian” book, struck up conversation. His name was Russell and he was visiting from Alaska with his son. I didn’t prompt the conversation, and I didn’t initiate the topic of missions, but he felt led to bring up his faith. He just openly shared about being involved in the church and supporting his niece’s mission trip. It was nice to converse with a stranger who shared a common interest. Out of all of the people jogging, and all of the possible days and times for each of us to be there, God aligned it so that we could meet. How amazing is it that our Father; our Creator desires to delight us in the little things? I felt very blessed by that, and it gave me an opportunity to share one of Christ’s examples of love.
