Category: spiritual refuelling, slowing down, intentionally choosing to pray, finding the strength we need

Space to be- even at the airport!

Making space in the crowd!

I recently have had the privilege to travel. It has been so good to visit wonderful friends, and I am so blessed.

However the journeying process was challenging, especially some of the baggage checks. The queue was busy, and you had to put your stuff in plastic trays to go through the scanner. But to get the plastic tray on the conveyor belt, you had to make a space, and basically that meant pushing some one else’s stuff out the way. For a while, I chose not to do this, but as time went by, all that happened was that everyone else pushed passed. I would have been there for the whole day, if I didn’t choose, very reluctantly, to push away a tray on the conveyor belt to make space for my tray.

This sounds like such a trivial thing, but it became enormously symbolic. In order to live well, we all need to have space to be. It didn’t harm anyone to put my tray up, but what it did, was release me to get on with my journey.

In the Christian life, we desire to love and serve others, and this is such a privilege. We take up our cross, as Jesus says in Luke 9:23. It is a great choice to make, but sometimes the danger can be that we burn out. We are so busy making space for others, we do not have space to be, to pray, to receive from God, to play, to enjoy. We need good boundaries, in order to be well enough to love and serve others.

Our holiday with our amazing friends is such a blessing, and it is a wonderful time to reflect, and to rediscover the importance of space and beauty, prayer and connection. God reminds me that he calls His children to enjoy Him and His stunning creation, and to know the comfort, healing and guidance of His spirit.

Sunrise!

May we all find space to be, to take time to heal, to rest, to find perspective, to start again.

Risen Lord, we desire to take up our cross and follow you. Sometimes the load is heavy, and we are worn down. Holy spirit, whisper your words to us, that Word from God in season, that we need to hear. Creator God, help us find space in our lives to come and rest with You, to receive Your love. May the things of this world not crowd You out, or diminish Your voice. Teach us to prioritise, to have space to listen, to heal and to find restoration and peace. In your Son’s precious name, Amen.

Spiritual refuelling!

However illogical it is, because of the increase in fuel prices, I seem to think it will be cheaper if I run my car on a half tank of fuel. Somehow it feels as if it is costing me less!

There is a problem with this, as you might guess, because I seem to get to the bottom of the tank very quickly. The wee amber light on the dashboard comes on, to let me know how many miles I might have left. This is good too, except the last time I was out, I didn’t have my purse with me, just some coins in the car. And so I could only buy £6 of petrol. I have to say though, it got me where I was trying to go.

This has been meaningful to me, because it reminds me that even a little fuel can make a difference.

In my spiritual life, I often try to spend time with God to pray, and read the bible and to sing praises. But there are some days, when I feel spiritually dry, as the energy that I started the day with has gone. It is easy to feel depleted and empty.

Yet even just a short time with God can make a difference, where it is an arrow prayer, or going back to a relevant verse, or singing a meaningful song, can revitalise my soul. Even though it is just a wee refill, it can help reconnect with God, and sustain me through my day.

In Ephesians 5:18 Paul writes that we should ‘be filled with the spirit’ and it seems healthy, especially when we feel a bit run down, to just pause and spend some time with God, so we can find our spiritual fuel. Even just a short time, can give us the guidance and energy to complete our journey.

Gracious and Loving God, You give us an abundance of spiritual resources, Your love and truth and grace revealed in Jesus Christ. Yet sometimes we confess that we think we are too busy to stop, and we try to live in our own strength. And then we wonder why we struggle and feel disconnected. Lord Jesus, help us always to make time for you, even if sometimes that is just a spiritual top up. Holy spirit, we welcome you, and ask that we might slow down, so you can fill us, and help us to do Your will, and to fulfil Your living purpose in the world, Amen