Old Clothes

We're in the process of cleaning out closets and getting rid of things we no longer use. The other day I opened up a box of clothes I haven't worn in years. I tried on the different pieces of clothing and found that many no longer fit (I'd like to say that's because I've lost weight, but we all know that's not the case! More the opposite, unfortunately.) So what did I do with these old clothes. Did I sell them on eBay or give them to Goodwill? No, of course not. I put them back in the box! Well, I am on an exercise program which is going pretty well and who knows, maybe I'll be able to lose those excess inches I've added over the years. Maybe I'll be able to fit back into those old clothes again. The question is, why would I want to? They are old, out-of-date, and worn. Why do I feel this need to hold onto them?

In my Scripture reading this morning, Ephesians 4, Paul talks about how we are to "put off" our old self, our old way of life and "put on the new self, created to be like God..." Unfortunately, far too often I find myself trying to put back on the "old self", those old clothes that don't fit anymore, those old sins that for some reason I cling to, afraid to toss them out because I might "need" them again someday. What a foolish thing to do. God has given me a new life, a life full of joy and freedom and possibilities. Why would I want to go back to the old ways that only brought misery and guilt.

I pray today that, with God's help, I will learn to just enjoy the new life which He's given me and go ahead and toss out those "old clothes" that no longer fit the person I'm becoming in Him.

Welcome to A Desert Place

Mark 1:35 says that Jesus would get up in the morning and go out to a desert place, someplace where He could be alone. There He would talk with His heavenly Father. I believe this special daily time with God was the secret to His success and power.

I'm trying to get in the habit of following His example, starting each day in a quiet place where I can be alone with God, reading His Word and talking with Him. I live right now in a high desert region of the Western United States, a place of incredible panoramic views, windy days, and amazing quiet. Often I will wander out to a chair in a corner of a field and watch the sun rise over the mountains. There, away from the noise and busyness of life, I have heard God's voice like never before.

This time in a desert place has become so special to me that I cannot keep it to myself, which is why I started this blog. I will share with you what I learn, questions I struggle with, and thoughts that come my way. My prayer is that, as we share these quiet moments together, we will learn to better hear His "still small voice", even amid the noise and chaos of our busy lives. I hope that by sharing these thing you will be inspired to find your own "desert place", whether in the country or just in a corner of your home, where you too can "come...apart...and rest a while." Mark 6:31.