Nights in Cambodia have become a precious time for me.
With the children asleep in bed, my work is over for the day. I can take a moment to breathe and enjoy the stillness. The only sounds I hear from outside are crickets chirping and the occasional shock of the neighbour’s mosquito zapper hitting its target.
Usually, Steve and I sit on our couch with the ever-present fan whirring above and talk about our days – the highs, the lows, the struggles and the joys. It is a great time of connecting, while we too swat the mosquitoes. Six months ago, we began also alternating these chats with a Bible study and prayer.
Tonight we added a new element to our routine. A quiet time of personal devotion.
I am notoriously bad at “doing” devotions. I get distracted by things to do, or bored with prayer lists. But the longer I am here, the more I am convinced that time with God is a necessity of life and effectiveness. Jesus being the vine is no longer an abstract thought and His statement, “Apart from me, you can do nothing”, is plain and simple truth.
Determined to connect with Him, I decided to start by sitting at the electric piano to spend some time in worship. However, my favourite songs weren’t working and I just wanted to run upstairs and bury myself in a novel. Annoyed, I closed the song book and began “tinkering” – just playing whatever my fingers felt like.
Soon I began thinking about my friends… and my music turned into a prayer. I prayed for my friend who walked through the valley of death this week with a young Khmer boy, another friend with a new precious life in her womb, another still who is struggling with being here, and another soon returning to Australia. I prayed for my family. With each prayer, the music changed – the intensity, the tempo, the melody.
The list grew longer when I glanced at the clock. I was startled that the time had passed so quickly. I wound up softly and covered the keyboard with its dust jacket… at peace.
God gave me a precious gift tonight. He reminded me that He is not into forced or boring or trite. He doesn’t have just one love language, one style of devotion that I must religiously follow. He loves me to spend time with Him as the creative, distractible, emotional woman He made me to be.
Tomorrow night I might paint while I meditate on John 15 - remaining in Him. I can’t wait.
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3 comments:
Great post! My thoughts about ridgedness of routine have been much the same lately. Though, with that said, there are some people who need the routine and habits that go with it.
My favourite place to talk, pray and listen is in the car, while driving (I have excuses there not to be distracted) and listening to soft classical music. Of course this is WITH my eyes open!
Thank you so much Lisa. What an encouraging and inspiring post.
Hi Rasita, yes. Each person is different and that's what is so freeing and great about it. Steve prays constantly on the roads here too, but for different reasons!;)
And thanks Jen. Will email you tonight.. Lisa
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