Time alone with God. . .
Does that spark in your mind an image of some sort of spiritual retreat center, where you could have a weekend (or a day!) all alone? Maybe in the mountains, a place where you could take walks and think thoughts without having a million questions fired at you by children intent on having your attention?
“Mom, where is. . .?”
“Mama, can we. . .?”
“Mother, why not?”
“Mommmmmmmy, I need you!!!”
Blap. The mental image is gone.
You’re sitting in the midst of a mountain of—not alpine splendor and solitary walks—but dishes, diapers, and demands.
How can you possibly have time alone with ANYBODY when you’re a weary, busy homeschool mom?
That’s a question I struggled with when my kids were little.
I remembered, though, when I was in college and a Christian friend pointed me to a very small book entitled, “The Practice of the Presence of God.” Written by a Catholic monk three hundred years prior, the letters Brother Lawrence wrote in the second half of the book gave me the sense that no matter where you are, no matter what you are doing, you can commune with God. Constantly. Day-in, day-out. That, as we “practice” the presence of God, prayer and communion with God will become as normal to our spirits as breathing air is to our bodies.
I discovered a “mom” example of this kind of prayer life, too. Just as Brother Lawrence prayed while doing the dishes at a monastery, so Ruth Bell Graham (wife of Billy Graham) would pray while doing dishes—bringing to the Lord not only her concerns, but her worship. She prayed while she did the dishes, she prayed while she was driving, she prayed as an everyday part of life. . .she prayed for her husband, for her children, for her neighbors, for her world.
These two people, whose practice of prayer in the everyday moments of life, became my models as I navigated a constantly-needing-to-be-cleaned house and constantly-needing-to-be-fed children, a never-ending list of to-do’s and a constantly-growing list of how-to-better-meet-my-children’s-needs-while-we-homeschooled.
Looking back over more than six decades of life, it is clear to me that God met me in those crazy-busy prayer times. He sustained us, He healed us, He loved us through the difficulties and pain. I know Him better now than I did then, and He is still the One who meets us whenever and wherever we cry out to Him.
So, dear one, time with God can be yours right now, regardless of whatever else is going on. Open your heart and welcome Him into your day.
Remember, stay relational.