TWO-WAY CONVERSATION

I'd estimate that 95% of my time with God is me talking. 

In my head I know I should be listening, but listening to God is harder.  It's easier to talk. 

I can quote (or find) the scriptures that advise us to "wait" on the Lord.  I'm familiar with the passages that say, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the church."  I realize that I'm missing out on a lot of God's best counsel by failing to practice just being quiet in His presence.

When I do take the time to wait before the Lord, I usually benefit from doing so.  But it's hard to get quiet in our world! 

I go away on retreat three times a year;  usually for four or five days.  Mt. Zion is off the beaten path;  I have lots of silence and solitude there.  Still, it usually takes me until the second night to get quiet before the Lord.  We're pummeled with noise and distractions in our culture;  it's hard to break away from it. 

I wonder how often God shakes His head thinking, "I wish Hal would just stop and spend some quality time with me.  I want to help him, but he won't let Me."

Marlene Smith was a life-long friend.  She attended our church for the last several years of her life.  During these years, she experienced a wonderful, spiritual renewal that resulted from spending time in silence before the Lord.  She spoke of it to anyone who would listen!  It had transformed her!  She encouraged it so much at our church that people got tired of hearing her admonishments.  She led a prayer group and forced them to wait in silence before the Lord for twenty minutes on many occasions.

Early in her experience, she wrote me the following  note:

Hal,

Waiting on God for twenty minutes each day has transformed me, my life, my thinking, my faith, my family, and all with whom I come in contact!  Glory be to God!!

Forty-five years of being a Christian has not matured me as much as this one month exercise.  It has turned me on my head.  No longer am I trying to live a godly life…God is living thru me.

Marlene

Could the spiritual transformation that all of us long for really be enjoyed for the simple price of twenty minutes a day? 

Does God really want to download His thoughts into my mind and heart?

Does God long to talk to me?

Am I missing the most powerful link in my life, simply because I'm too busy?

IN MEMORY

I'll be helping the Smith family say goodbye to Marlene today.  It'll be a sad/happy occasion!  She valiantly battled cancer for the last couple of years.  But that's not what we'll remember her for.

She stood strong for her husband, kids, siblings, extended family, and friends.  But that's not what we'll remember her for.

She was amazingly creative.  Her cards were works of art;  and her words - heartfelt and meaningful!  But that's not what we'll remember her for.

She was an extreme organizer who ended one of her notes to me by pointing out that 'Pittsburg' was misspelled in our new church directory!  But that's not what we'll remember her for.

In the last three years, she committed herself to waiting before the Lord in silence for twenty minutes every day.  THAT'S WHAT WE'LL REMEMBER HER FOR!!!

It changed her!  Her own words:

Hal,

Waiting on God for twenty minutes each day has transformed me, my life, my thinking, my faith, my family, and all with whom I come in contact!  Glory be to God!!

Forty-five years of being a Christian has not matured me as much as this one month exercise.  It has turned me on my head.  No longer am I trying to live a godly life…God is living thru me.

Marlene

What will YOU be remembered for?