A Nice Long Run

For the past few days I have been in Dixon, IL spending time with my family. I love coming back to my hometown to see some of my favorite people! Last night my mom had a birthday party for Cooper and my grandparents, aunts and uncles and brother and sister come out to celebrate. It so good to spend time with them and eat! As my sister has already posted we had the most amazing cake ever of which I ate quite a bit (www.courtneywalsh.typepad.com) if you have taste buds, this is the cake for you.

My sister Courtney enjoying the famous "Texas Sheet Cake" One of the things I enjoy about coming to my parents house is the books that are available for reading. My parents are readers so whenever we come home, Matt and I usually sneak a few books in the van with us. This is the one we have currently picked up….

I am not sure we can get out of the house with this book, it is seriously good but I do warn you this book is not for the faint of heart. I am taking it one chapter at a time. This morning’s chapter was called, “The tent of meeting”. You may be wondering what the heck does that mean? This is referencing EX. 33:7. Whenever the people of God would go out to seek Him they would go out to the tent of meeting. It was their secret place to get with God.

Usually for me my secret place is messy and interrupted. I don’t usually get a great quiet time. In the book Francis Frangipane writes this, “If we are going to become holy, we must sever the chains of restrains, the bondage of desiring just an average life. We will choose to leave the camp of familiarity and place our tent in the Presence of God.” I had to read this sentence about six times before I really got what it was saying. Seeking God is about getting out of our usual life and letting him speak to us, giving him the space and time to give us what we need for a purposeful life, a holy life.

After I read this I decided to go for a run. It was a really great run, 60 degrees, outside, all alone on a country road. I secretly wished I had a photographer to run with me and snap my picture like those really motivating pictures of runners. I am sure I do not look as graceful as they do, but the thought crossed my mind non the less. Anyways…. As I was running I was listening to some Praise and Worship music and praying and God began speaking to me.

I began to hear God clearly like I really haven’t lately. I took me getting out of my familiar surroundings, getting away from the noise and the business of life to a place where God could speak, but more importantly to a place where I could listen. I love that God is willing to wait on us to get to a place where we are listening. He pours out His love on us, encourages us, and corrects us. I used to really be afraid that I was doing the wrong thing, making the wrong decision or getting out of God’s plan for my life but I realized He lets us know! If we can put ourselves in a place to hear from Him, He will let you know the answers to the questions that you have.

This is what I imagine my secret place looking like.... We don’t have to live in fear of messing up. I hope that today each of us can find a secret place, a tent of meeting to get alone with God. Its important to remember that it is going to look differently for all of us.

Where do you hear from God? Today I hope that you can get out of your familiar surroundings into a place where God can find you!!