Solitude

This morning was a glorious morning! I was on the deck with my coffee, my bible, and my cat. Miss B was curious about the "great outdoors," so I took my little table and let her lay on it while I communed with nature. She did great until she decided that exploration was more inticing than sitting on the table. I had to let her go inside because falling from the third floor would not be a good thing.

The birds were singing today, the breeze was cool; the air heavy with humidity. It was overcast and a perfect morning for relaxation. These mornings are precious to me. My workday mornings are filled with things to do before I walk out the door, that I don't have the luxury of drinking a leisurely cup of coffee and sitting on my deck watching all the animals. When I came home late after the movie, two deer were eating nearby the stairs. I tried to be quiet, but the car startled them.

I love to read my bible and study outside. It seems to fit. I know Jesus retired to a mountainside to pray, to escape the crowds, to just be. It must have been something he enjoyed doing because he does it a lot throughout scripture. If he found it to be something necessary, then I should take the time to do the same. Although, I wonder if his prayers sounded like mine? I jump from topic to topic, from friend to friend, from problem to problem. Sometimes, I just pray a prayer of praise. I don't ask for anything. It is to remind me that he isn't a vending machine... I put in a prayer - he shoots out an answer. Sometimes, I just pray a prayer full of thanksgiving, or confessions, or the longings of my heart. I want him to know that I don't just look to him for what he can do for me, but for Who He Is and for What He Has Done. (He died for me so that I might be saved.) Do you love people only for what they can do for you? Or do you love them because of who they are and for what they have done for you?

Jesus, you are the perfect example of love. Not only do you show us how to love, but you show us why we are to love. You forgive, you save, you love, and you show compassion and mercy. May I show these things to others as you did. Help me to persevere when I am weak. Help give me courage when I am scared. Help to believe, even when I falter. You are the way, the truth, and the life. Thank you for being truthful and trustworthy in all things. Amen.