I’ve upped and left….got into the car and driven off into the sunset…no laptop, no iPad. It’s all very irresponsible (or is it?) but I did it anyway….and I’m glad that I did.

Sometimes life gets in the way of spending quality time with my closest, most amazing friend. I don’t skip time with him intentionally-it sort of just happens. So I consciously try to make time for us to have a chat and spend time together. It feels naughty-as if I’m sneaking away with an illicit boyfriend or something, but how did it ever become that way??!

Society tells me that ‘busy, busy, busy’ is what it’s all about. The often conflicting demands of ministry makes me feel that if I’m not ‘there’ that something bad will happen…and to be honest it often does….but even so, does that make it right to deny ‘The Lord and Saviour’ of my time?

He doesn’t actually need me in order to survive, (as if?!) but nonetheless he wants me to ‘hang out’ with him 100% of the time.

Conversely, I can’t actually survive without Him, but do I actually want to hang out with him 100% of the time? I like to think that I do, but an honest assessment of my ‘to do’ list suggests that may not always be the case.

Quoting from a conversation I had with my friend earlier today…

‘I’m sorry Lord. I know that we don’t get enough time alone together. I guess I’m coping OK with the externals, but my interior life is in perpetual danger of crumbling! Without your breath, I am nothing. Enthuse, inspire and enliven every part of me with your Holy Sprit – so that I rise or fall to be no more and no less than you have created me to be.’

I’ll leave the rest of the day’s events between me and my friend. Too much self-disclosure on-line is seldom a pretty thing! However, it maybe that my words to my friend might offer you the words that you need to say to him today.

Written whilst on retreat April 2016…