Something that I had been longing for had to change today.  I was anticipating going away for the day and spending time at a retreat.  But as other things converged I had to lay that aside, or at least in the way in which it was going to happen.  I still desired to spend time with God. In fact all of me was crying out for that time away with God.  In the Psalms there is a great simile, or image that speaks to how I was feeling and what I needed.

As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.  When shall I come and behold the face of  God?  (Psalm 42:1-2, NRSV)

     All of us at times have this strong thirst for being away with God, yet many things can come up and get in the way.  When this happens we can if possible put the other things on the back burner, or consider how this time can still occur in the midst of “life”.  Jesus, knew that this time away with the Father was important. He routinely withdrew away from the crowds and from life that was pressing in on him.  He too longed for that time spent in communion, it was a necessary thing.

     When life happens how is it that we can still have this time away with God?  First of all, it requires a shift in our thinking.  For myself, it means that I could not be frustrated by what was keeping me from my retreat time.  I needed to realize that God is always with me, I just needed to remember to include him in my day.  I also had to find time within my day, perhaps small increments that could be devoted purely to being “away” with God. Fortunately, I was able to spend time with him in the morning through prayer and his word.  In the afternoon I also was able to do the same but this time out in nature.  Living in the Bay area allows me to find those places where solitude can happen. For myself, that means gravitating towards the water, hearing the wind rustling in the trees, and watching the sunlight dance off of the water.  In that space it was as if I had left my everyday behind and I could focus on spending time with God.

     The important or necessary thing is that we take the time and create that space where these retreats can happen.  Even in the midst of our ordinary day, we can find those places and deliberately set them aside.  We need those times with the Father, just as Jesus did.  With the hustle and bustle that we call life, it requires sometimes both commitment and creativity to make this happen.

How is it that you find this retreat time with God?  What keeps it from occurring for you?

Picture: Restful Stream, by nagillum

Tagged as: Longing, Retreat, Thirst