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There were times in my life where time alone was plenteous. Because I was single (and waiting patiently for my future husband to arrive on the timeline) I had so very much time available to me in my twenties when I was not studying at college or working a plethora of part time jobs to pay the bills. As an introvert, my time was not filled up with a lot of social activity, there was some, especially when it came to church ministry and serving the youth and young adults at my parent’s church plant. In those times, I was busy… driving kids to the bi-weekly community worship service in another town, planning Bible study, leading the youth music team and one of the adult music teams, practicing for our hilarious Christmas drama at church, and gathering for youth events, or just meeting up with young people for coffee. But in general, life was quiet; I had no cell phone and the internet was at my parent’s house where you could only access it if no one else was on the phone, and then, you had to dial up to connect. Those who remember that stage of the internet will recall the all too familiar tones emitting from the computer speakers as it laboriously attempted to connect to the world wide web, and the painstaking patience required to wait for it!
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Sometimes I would pack up my journal, Bible, a book, and drive to a cozy coffee shop for an evening of writing and reflection while being serenaded by the instrumental jazz on the stereo playing overhead. Sometimes, I would venture down the ravine behind my parents house for some time alone amidst the woods, the sound of birdsong, the calming rhythm of the creek flowing ever on down towards the Fraser River from Whonnock Mountain where we lived. The views from my parents’ mountain sanctuary helped me get perspective on life. Lots of walks. Lots of thoughts. A quiet afternoon climbing over massive logs and dipping my feet in the Kanaka Creek while sunlight streamed through gathered trees watching over me like Tolkien’s faithful Ents, provided a perfect scene to spend time alone with the Lord Jesus and pour out my heart to Him, seek Him (even though I didn’t spend too long on that log that warm summer day when I realized all the berries were eaten half way up the surrounding bushes, and the thought of running into bear or cougar or coyote snapped me back into the reality of the wild… but still, it was awesome… except when I dislocated my knee going back up the ravine… but still, it was awesome.)
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When the blessing of children arrived, those quiet times alone with the Lord became fewer and far between. The journaling stopped altogether as my energy was sapped much quicker and naps were an afternoon necessity! There were times when I would look up and say, “Lord, I miss you,” not that He was gone, but that my time alone with Him was now just different. While I absolutely loved being in this new season of motherhood, I had to find new rhythms of devotion, and the Lord gently led me into creative ways to “practice His presence”.
I wasn’t able to drink from the firehose of God’s Word in the same way I had before, and so it was a new season of learning by trial and error, how I was going to be in God’s Word. There were many ups and downs, many dry times, and as always with any new thing, it was a learning curve, and I had to learn to give myself grace. Over time, I found things that worked for me and didn’t work for me.
Hiking in St Louis, Missouri, 2015
2 Simple and Practical Ways to Get Into God’s Word:
Listen to the Bible on audiobook or stream online: We have access to so many ways to get into God’s Word in our current era, besides picking up the Bible and turning the pages. Ten years ago, my four babies were between the ages of 0 and 6 years old. We were starting some homeschooling and busy with crafting and snacks and play doh and snacks and getting everyone’s shoes and coats on to go to the community playground outside and snacks and changing diapers for two and potty training and… snacks! Life was gloriously full (and still is)! But I had little ones up at night, with sicknesses making its round through all four kids and sometimes little ones waking with bad dreams and needing consoling, or others waking up before the sun rose. So my capacity was quite limited. I wanted to wake up early and spend time alone with the Lord pouring over Scripture, but that did not happen in those years. In those years, the online version of the Bible I use was not streaming chapter to chapter. You could only play one chapter at a time, run back to the computer and click on the next chapter to hear it aloud. So I thought to myself, “What is the longest chapter in the Bible? I will just play that so I don’t have to run from the kitchen every few minutes… Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible. I would put it on in the background while the kids and I were spending our mornings in the kitchen playing, cooking, drawing, learning, and eating snacks! That was one way to get the Word in my ears, and theirs! Now, technology has improved and you can play through any book of the Bible in one click, and even use apps on your phone. Even now that my kids are tweens and teens, I still listen to the audio Bible when I’m wanting to catch up on my Bible reading plan as I rush out the door to get everyone where they need to go.
Scripture Music is another great way to get the Word in your hearts and in your kids’ hearts and carry it with you throughout the day. There are so many songwriters out there doing this now, you could pick your favorite and easily memorize scripture and even the catechisms through song! I still play Scripture songs around the home to fill the environment of my home, and my mind with Truth and beautiful music, especially if its a particularly stressful day, or if I’m feeling maxed out, and want to help remind myself and my family of God’s ways and words. Music can set the tone of the home.
Reminders on Perspective:
In the early church days, the New Testament was yet to be written, and eventually those documents would be circulated hand to hand as people traveled to teach and encourage the young churches that were being organized. Letters that were shared were read aloud to gatherings of Christians. They didn’t have copies of these documents in their homes to wake up to in the morning and meditate on with a cup of steaming hot espresso. They did not have the beloved music of Chopin or Mozart or Yo Yo Ma to listen to on a streaming device or a record player. The adults probably woke up before the sunrise, to start the cooking fires and warm up the house, prepare the grains and proteins for cooking, take care of the children and animals, and start the day’s work of survival. Every day is a work of survival. Maybe they had saved enough water from the day before for an early morning tea or another ancient drink of herbs and spices.
But likely, believers would gather once a week or several times a week for the reading of God’s Word, for the work of the church, and to be taught the Scriptures. Maybe they would memorize large portions to pass to others and recite those. Likely, any meditation on Scripture was what they had memorized from church gatherings and repeated at home. Many Jewish Christians also had the Old Testament, and many portions, or all of the Pentateuch, memorized as a part of their lifestyle and education. But most importantly, the Word of God was now written on their hearts and they lived and breathed with God’s Spirit indwelling them. This revolutionized the world. The peace and presence of Immanuel, God with us, was now a daily reality and as living temples, they carried the presence of God with them wherever they went, the aroma of Christ.
So, if you cannot be consistent in daily Scripture reading, there is no shame. Jesus doesn’t shame you. There is no shame on this train. But also, we need to stay on this train.
God says that those who meditate on His Word day and night are happy, are blessed (Psalm 1:1-2). God says where your treasure is there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:21). God says to not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed (Romans 12:1-2) and your heart and mind can be transformed and formed, literal neuropathways are formed when you read God’s Word and He transforms your thinking and thought life through these means when you saturate yourself in God’s Word.
So there is no shame (Romans 8:1) if you do not have capacity to live up to your ideals of Bible reading and frequent deep study of God’s Word, but on the other hand, He shows you the better way… Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus, (Luke 10:42) spending time with the Word made flesh, soaking in every moment of hearing Him speak and filling her soul with Truth… that will not be taken away from you, and it is the better way to pursue.