Quiet Time

 I did something very rare today.  I just let the day just go and whatever happened, happened.  At first, I was planning to relax, then I wanted to go outside, then I wanted to clean.  I had looked at the clock around 10:00 AM and didn't look at it again until it was beginning to get dark.  I did run to work for a few minutes to print out one last thing for church tomorrow.  I tend to have that one thing that pops into my head that I still need to do.  When I came home I sat down, lit a candle and just spent my entire day reading my Bible.  It turned into the perfect day.  The way I wish I could spend everyday.  I start my day daily reading the Word but I'm usually looking at the clock and have multiple interruptions with everyone in the house getting their day ready.  

This day was different.  I just read through and just completely absorbed it all in. It's such a wonderful feeling to feel Christ's presence.  It's especially wonderful when you knew what it was like to not feel it.  I went too many years to know what that feeling was like.  So when I have days like today it gives me great peace to just rest in Him.  
I stare into the candle and think about how my life used to be before I used to read the Word, before I received Christ. I didn't have a bad life before I received Christ.  I was blessed with a wonderful family who taught me all about Jesus.  But I made that decision not to read the Bible and go too "deep" into my faith.  I made some bad decisions when I hit adulthood.  Things I wasn't exactly proud of..I definitely wouldn't share with my children.  That all changed when I finally opened my eyes and let Christ set me free.  

Last week, during testimony time during church we were thanking God for those who serve in the children's ministry and I was fighting the Holy Spirit to stand up and give a testimony.  When Pastor announced the last one and it was done and over with, his son Micah was walking away with the microphone and my hand went up flying up in the air....it was too late to turn back now!  I (shaking) was thanking God for what the children's ministry did for me.  When I first started attending my church I never read the Bible, just bits and pieces here and there.  I had started a Sunday School class a week later and for the first time had to find things in the Bible to do my study.  I explained to the congregation how easy it is for us but for those who don't know how to read the Bible it can be pretty hard to figure out.  My then 9 year old daughter, who was already two weeks into the Awana program and Sunday School, had to show me how to use the Bible.  What a wonderful blessing to have my own child teach me how to read God's Word.

Those ladies who took the time to show my child how to the read the Bible did something amazing for my family that day.  A week later, my daughter showed me how to read the Bible and 4 months later I was teaching my husband how to read the Bible. That following September I jumped right into Awana's myself knowing what Christ can do for a family and I too can be part of His work.  My life was forever changed when I opened His word.  The blessings just poured along with it.

I spent this afternoon reflecting and thanking Him over and over again for this wonderful gift called grace that He's given me.  I didn't get outside today or lay around on the couch either.  No cleaning was done but God had me right there where he wanted me.  Quiet. In His word.  In His grace.  In Him.

Colossians 3:1-2
Since, then you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds above, not on earthly things.