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A couple of Sundays ago, we arrived a little late to church. We didn’t get to Sunday School because we drove home from Oklahoma the day before…in one day. We got home at 2 AM. We did well to get to church.
During one of the hymns, we looked off to our side, and there was Mia cuddling up to Ron.
“Hi Granpa.” She hugged him.
“I’m glad you’re home. I missed you.”
We sat down and she curled up next to him as he wrapped his arm around her.
We looked around to see where she had been sitting. The church was full. There was no room where we usually sit. Her mom had watched from the front left side of the church as Mia had come to see us in the center, closer to the back.
She sat next to us for awhile but it wasn’t long before she headed back to her parents. Fortunately, it was during the welcoming time when no one noticed. Along the way, she stopped to say, “Hi,” to some friends in the back on the way to her parents’ row. Not much of an extrovert is she?
Is your time with GOD a relationship or a duty?
As I thought about our exchange, it reminded me of our devotions…or what they need to be like. So much of my upbringing was about the importance of having devotions everyday. The legalism of it all was pounded into my head.
In the boarding school I attended, we had to be awake at a certain time, clean our rooms for a white glove inspection (done during our devotional time with points deleted for each hair left in the sink). It was difficult to separate the two things. I couldn’t just read, pray and enjoy the devotional time. It was always silently interrupted by the INSPECTION.
It took me awhile to process what I was reading in terms of any meaningful application. About the time I was just starting to make some progress, between the inspection and processing the reading and not falling asleep when I prayed…the bell rang!
All done! Time for breakfast…and you’d better move it because you will be penalized if you don’t get there on time! We had to walk across a windy parking lot. During cold weather, we had to go upstairs to hang up our coats…and still be at breakfast on time.
There was no time to stop and meditate or pause and reflect…except during the planned devotional time. From then on, we moved rapidly through the day. Bells rang and we were on the the next thing.
As I became older, I realized that devotions were much more about a relationship than they were about a duty I had to check off. But I still struggle to have them. I think the old mindset still resides in my head. But back to my main point!
Mia knew she wanted to see Granpa. He had been away for a few days. She couldn’t wait until after church to see him and give him a hug.
How do you feel about your time with GOD?
Is it a relationship?
