Time With Abba

Wednesday I woke up very cranky: well that's probably an understatement to be honest.  I was not happy. I had to rise early, be on someone else's schedule, to do what I normally do just fine on my own.  I fought my attitude as I took a shower, praying against the foulness swelling up in me over what should be a pleasant, delightful experience.

After opening my Bible to get my "normal" quiet time reading in, I read about David dancing before the LORD, and his wife, Micah, despising him in her heart.  Not thinking much of it, I dressed and shoved my belongings into my backpack.

Still unable to push the complaints from fogging up my mind, I headed for the assigned area where we were to meet at 7:00AM.   I was a few minutes late.  I felt like Yo-Sammity-Sam grumbling and cursing as I walked to the meeting area where we were to have "Time with Abba" together.  I felt like I was in kindergarten or something.  I did not need to be taught how to spend time with the Father: grumble, grumble, grumble.... complain, complain, complain... wah, wah, wah....


It was our second morning of the week long experience.  The day before, I had been delightfully surprised at this "new way" of doing a quiet time.  Indeed, it was powerful and fresh.  This morning, I opened up to the Psalm that my new journal schedule said to read and copy for the day.  I nearly fell out on the floor laughing when I read:

"God, hear my voice when I complain."  Psalm 64:1


God has a way of turning us on our own head.  I am nearly falling off my chair as I type this out, sitting in an airport waiting for my flight home.   My heart was different the rest of the day, for the rest of the week for that matter!


God made me laugh this week, at myself.  I take myself all too seriously; He jolted me out of my sick self-awareness and loosened me up.  There were a few other incidents that were too funny, too covered by this theme of shaking off this all-too-serious self-conscious way I am to deny that God was doing this on purpose.


Through this week's experience at this school (of sorts - it would be more accurate to describe it as a spiritual detox), He amped up my quiet time.  I have done the same thing for years and years and years.  He showed me a fresh way to meet with Him: it is simple, yet very powerful.  They (the folks who led the conference I attended this week) call it Time With Abba.  It's not really a method or program, definitely, not a curriculum; but it is a way to interact with God's Word, writing it out, highlighting what it says about God, how it describes man (me), and what promises are within the passage.  Then, praying through that with Thanksgiving, adoration, confession, supplication and praise.  It is indeed powerful.  Try it, you may be surprised....


Anyhow... God blessed me this Week.  He made me Laugh, He challenged me, He strengthened and cleansed me.  He's good like that.........





Comments

Pastor Coleman said…
Thank you for your transparency, Tammie. I think every believer can identify with your experience and recognize how incredibly patient and gracious God is in pulling us out of our self and into Himself.

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