If women were convinced that a day off or an hour of solitude was a reasonable ambition, they would find a way of attaining it. As it is, they feel so unjustified in their demand that they rarely make the attempt.
It is essential for all women to pause a moment to reconsider the entire subject of solitude. Too many of us approach time alone as if it were a frivolous, expendable luxury rather than a creative necessity.
Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Most women have what I like to call the “roadrunner effect” working in their lives. We fill our days with so much busyness that we become like a roadrunner – grabbing, rushing around doing two or three things at once thinking it’ll make life easier. But all we are doing is crowding our lives and not leaving room for the important things.
Life is so much more than rushing from place to place, meeting to meeting. You have the right, even the obligation to give yourself time-out. Time to re-focus and re-assess your day-to-day existence. Time to look out of a window, to breathe the fresh air, to enjoy a cup of tea in silence or to watch that movie you’ve put to one side.
Don’t just rush off to exercise, jogging, taking kids all over the place, to work, to meetings – whatever it is that fills your day. Slow down, listen, life is calling, God is calling and His voice is soft and gentle. You have to get off the rushing train of busyness in order to hear it.
There is a quality to being alone that is incredibly precious. Always keep a pad and pen on hand just to jot down random glimmers of inspiration that will come once you commit to soul caring times. My most encouraging, precious words from the Lord have come when I commit to spending whatever amount of time I have just being quiet. God wants to speak to you more than you know. He’s constantly speaking; just get quiet enough to listen. This is what meditation is.
The Psalmist often says SELAH (think on that). That’s an important lesson to learn. You cannot think while rushing around. You have to get quiet. And you have to be ALONE! I know it’s not always easy to find the time, but if it becomes important enough (a reasonable ambition), then you’ll make the time. Even ten minutes makes a tremendous difference. You owe it to yourself and others to take care of yourself. It’s the greatest gift you can give to those around you
I John 3: 1 “consider the incredible love that the Father has shown us in allowing us to be called “children of God” – and that is not just what we are called, “but what we ARE”. Take time out to let Him love you. Take time to enjoy what He has given. Let Him show you how much He cares. The world would be a different place if it were not for you.
