Last week I
attended what might be my last retreat at Tuscarora Inn in Pennsylvania. My sister in law Jan and I were racking our
brains trying to figure out how many years we’ve been going to that retreat. We think we may have started in the late
1990s, missing just a couple of weeks over the years because of graduations or
weddings. The retreat is so special to
me, especially coming as it does after a busy year of ministry, that I’m having
a hard time imagining my life without it.
This year I
had one of those, “what was I thinking” moments, when Jim and I flew home from
more than two weeks in Florida on the afternoon of the retreat! Our daughter picked us up and when I got
home, I ran inside, dropped my suitcase, threw some things into a smaller bag
and drove the hour and a half to the retreat site. I missed dinner, but arrived just in time for
the first teaching session, a little more tired than usual, but so glad to be
there.
I just love
greeting women from other churches that I have come to know in my years of
coming. They come from all over northern
New Jersey and we only see one another this one time a year, so the reunions
are very sweet!
This year’s
speaker focused that Friday evening session on the importance of retreating –
FROM our busy lives, TO the Lord and His Word, so that He might speak to us and
reveal Himself while we’re there. As we
talked at meals the next day, busy lives and neglect of God’s Word were the
topic of table conversation. Jobs, kids,
the day to day tasks that fall to us women, plus the things we allow to
distract us, like TV, friendships and even good books all conspire to keep us
too busy for God’s Word.
I wish I
could say that being too busy was my reason for neglecting God’s Word, but I’m
retired! I’m involved in a volunteer
capacity in a few different things but they hardly keep me too busy. Yet, I’m as guilty of neglecting time in
God’s Word as the busiest woman. Why,
when I know it is the means to intimacy with God that He has made available to
me? Sometimes I’m just lazy. Far too often I’m more engaged with my
computer, which has become both a blessing and curse. I think, “I’ll get to my Bible right after I
check my e mail and Facebook”, but mostly I never do.
I read a
book this spring about the inventor Marconi who spent years trying to find a
way to lengthen the distance over which Morse coded messages could be
sent. In the course of his
experimentation with higher transmission towers and greater distances, he
experienced failure after failure as messages were transmitted, but could not
be received. So often, that’s how it is
with me. The trouble is not that the
Lord isn’t transmitting the messages I need to hear from His Word – I’m just
not receiving them because my distance from Him is preventing me from hearing
His voice. It’s true what I’ve heard, if the Lord seems distant and we’re
having trouble hearing Him, it’s not because HE’S moved.
At various
times over the years I’ve collected rocks at Tuscarora and written on them the
thoughts the Lord impressed upon my heart, through the speakers and through His
Word. He has a theme going. Here are some of the things I’ve written:
2008 Stay in
the game
2009 Don’t
let your computer crowd out worship
2010 Jesus
first – before other people, before your computer!
2011 Jesus:
Come away with me!
2015 Worship
Jesus
So once
again I have been reminded of the critical importance of being in God’s Word,
of staying close, so that what He wants to say to me comes through loud and
clear.
I’m grateful
for this time, as we prepare to move to Florida, when ministries must be
brought to a close, that there is very little now to keep me so busy that I
neglect God’s Word.
There is a
song I’ve heard on Christian radio with a phrase that says: “Word of God speak.
. .” The desire of my heart is this
response: “Your servant is listening”.
