Me, Myself, and God

I’ve been having car trouble for the last few months. Sometimes you don’t realize how much you rely on something until it’s suddenly…unreliable. For me, it’s been a pain because I’ve been missing out on my day off drives. Sometimes when I have a day off, I spend the day out driving, initially without a particular destination. I’ll treat myself to some coffee and some lunch while I just spend the day out driving around. While driving, I spend that quiet time in prayer, reflection, and at times, just peace and quiet. You know, aside from the sound of traffic depending on which road I take. But it’s my quality time with God. I absolutely love those moments. I’m praying my mechanic gets to the bottom of the issue. Not just because I’ve grown used to not having a car note, but because my car has actually become my prayer closet. 

My day off drives helped me identify all those moments I used to waste by griping or complaining about other things. Especially work. I sometimes leave myself a voice memo or talk myself through something that I’m trying to work out. It helps to hear the words aloud sometimes. Or I’ll listen to it again later and see if my thought process has shifted. But I recall one day during a drive to work deciding that instead of complaining about an issue that was going on at work, I wanted to start my day differently. Just in that brief moment, God showed me how much time and energy I was pouring into all the negativity instead of using those moments to meditate, pray, or simply doing what the scriptures instruct me to. Casting all those cares, woes, and worries on Him.

If you have people in your life that you connect with, then you understand the value of spending that quality time with them. That’s how we develop our relationships and get to know one another. That relationship building is just as vital when it comes to God. If I’m not communing with Him on the regular, then it’s understandable why something like prayer might initially feel awkward. It’s like being around someone you sort of know, but not well enough to hold a meaningful conversation. Awkward silence takes over mighty fast. But I don’t want my praying moments to be filled with me monologuing. We should desire a conversation with God. That means as often as we talk, we listen. Afterall, if it’s questions I’m asking, then ideally, I’d like answers to them. But often we are so busy talking that we can’t hear what others are saying, let alone God.

So, don't be so neglectful of those moments of solitude that surface in our otherwise busy lives. Take some time out of your day to pray and spend time with God. Starting out my day that way is more refreshing than those cups of coffee most people are so reliant on. One simple change will produce some significant results.

Stay Sunny!