Timeless.....

This past weekend I got a chance to get away to an encampment with several ladies from my home church. It was a place called, “Shepherd of the Ozarks” and it was an incredible location out in the middle of nowhere. The only thing there besides us were the rattlesnakes, beavers, trout, spiders, wasp, flies, and those were just the things that some of us saw. That doesn’t count everything around us that we didn’t see… and I’m glad about that part. Ha,ha,ha,ha

When I was packing to go I packed my laptop, books for study, and anything else to utilize for helping me to prepare for our trip heading to Asia in a few weeks. I thought, “I will work on Asia during our free time, in the early mornings after my quiet time, at night when everyone has settled in.” (What a stupid thought that was, ha,ha,ha). But something happened as I sat down on the front porch of our cabin after unloading the car. We had no real phone or wifi service to mention. So, I thought, “I’m not working on that other stuff while I’m here. I’m just actually going to enjoy being here.” I thought, “I teach on the importance of living in the present. I teach about how God has covered the past, holds the future but dwells in the present. I teach, if we are going to experience His Presence we must live in the present. So, how ‘bout I actually try it more often?” So I did. (Don’t you love it when you talk yourself through stuff! Ha, ha, ha)

 It is an awesome thing about the LORD’S presence, it is timeless. You are in it and you are doing the things required of you but it’s not moving, it just is. Ok, so now some of you are thinking, “the girl fell off a cliff at the camp!” Ha,ha,ha. Not so. And some of you out there know exactly what I am talking about.  

I share that with you because I wonder what we bring to the table at times like this. Are we experiencing God because we finally “stopped” and got still-- meaning not thinking ahead or not thinking behind. What I need to do or what I didn’t do? Actually, just enjoying the present and BOOM, He shows up! I know scripturally speaking He is with us all the time and never leaves us or forsakes us. So, I am not talking about His Omnipresence right now, which means with us all the time whether we know it or not. I’m talking about His Revealed Presence, when we experience Him.

Living in the present actually causes our brain to shut-up. Most of our thoughts are about the what if’s and when if’s, future or the mistakes, hurts, un-forgiveness, and even laurels of the past. If we didn’t think on the past or future, we would be in the present and His Presence. It is a sweet thing.

If you are like me, you visit there more than you actually live there. I pray for us as His children, that we can learn to live in the present more and more. That we might know His Revealed Presence.

Note: Just a little bit over two weeks from leaving for Southeast Asia. Can’t believe it is here after all this time. So excited to see what God has in store for the ladies and us there. Also, Mexico is on the horizon soon after our return. So, continue to pray, give, gifts and yeah we have our team and will be booking tickets this Friday. 

Love you guys bunches…

His,
Vickie