Moving on

I'm done camping out in Hebrews 12.  I'm pulling up the stakes, folding up my tent and moving on.  Don't worry - I'm not quitting the race.  It's just that I realized yesterday that I'd been staying in that place a little too long and it was time to change my focus.

Yesterday was the last day of August.  I was just ending a season of weeks of concentrated family time (which was wonderful!!) and I wanted to take some time for quiet and reflecting. So I decided to read back over my journal entries for the past few months and try to remember what God had been speaking to me about.  And one of the things I realized in that process is that my spiritual pendulum was swinging too far to one side and it was making me limp : ).  Not a good way to race!

My time camped out in Hebrews 12 had focused my heart on the race - on discipline and endurance and perseverance and the struggles of running.  And that's important - because that's part of Scripture.  But what hit me as I read yesterday is that I had lost the rhythm of the swinging pendulum - my heart had forgotten about the other side of the truth - the grace and the rest.  As I read through months of journaling about striving to be a good runner, I remembered Jesus' words from Matthew 11: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened. . . .and you will find rest for your souls."  Ooooops - forgot about that part!

So I'm switching focus for awhile.  Be assured - I'm not planning to just sit on the sidelines and watch the race : ).  But I realize now that I've gotten a little out of balance and I need to correct my gait.  So I pulled out my little notebook from the women's retreat a couple years ago - "Rhythms of Grace" - and I'm hoping to remind myself what I said that weekend!  The retreat was built around Jesus' words from Matthew 11 and His desire for us to come to Him for rest.  I'm gonna camp there for awhile.  I think the change in scenery will be good for my soul : ).