“Delight yourself in me, for I am the deepest desire of your heart” ~ God (Psalm 37:4)

It’s July 4th and in many corners of the U.S. it’ll be celebrated as Independence Day.

Perhaps today we can celebrate independence from the pressures NOT TO HAVE Solitude with God? 🙂

In her July 1 entry from the book Jesus Calling, Sarah Young supports what CP readers saw from Henri Nouwen as an element of Solitude Solidarity (CP post HERE.)  Jesus’ words – per Sarah Young in Jesus Calling – include fighting for precious time with God.

What are the ways you fight for that precious time with our Creator?

POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES

• before your head hits the pillow at night, say a gratitude prayer for the day just completed
• before your head leaves the pillow in the morning, say an adoration prayer for the ways God has loved you and provides you the day ahead to show love to others
• develop your own practice – the opportunities abound! Examples from CP friends include:
  • acquire a new daily devotional book and establish a ritual for reading the daily entry (Barb reads Jesus Calling right before bedtime – thanks Barb!)
  • “morning walks have unintentionally morphed into God time – being outside, walking @ a comfortable pace w/ no agenda – finds me in prayer mode – & I love it!” (thanks Sandy!)
  • “I often like to combine the morning devotional I read (usually Guideposts) with a few minutes “work” in my art journal. Sometimes I copy a favorite phrase, scripture and/or word onto a previously watercolored page. Sometimes I do a quick watercolor background and then add a thought. Just a few minutes of putting paint to paper is very calming” (thanks Toni!)

  • With young kids, being very intentional and proactive about gathering space for silence was important and reading books like Practicing His Presence (Lawrence), Celebration of Discipline (Foster), Spirit of the Disciplines (Willard), helped with lots of great ideas. I snagged my silence and solitude whenever I could get it, which was not an easy task! [FAST FORWARD TO NOW…] I don’t have to seek out solitude and silence. It’s already here. I savor and relish it, while still finding podcasts/audio books to fill hungry curiosities and some of the silence. (thanks Debbie!)

Enjoy your time, filled with the Spirit!