Time is..

I just spent nine glorious days in Pennsylvania, my home state.  Prior to March 1st, I had counted down from New Year's to Spring Break on a daily basis.  Then, in the blink of an eye, the entire week (and 2 days) sped by me.  Those nine days were jam packed with visits with some of the most wonderful family and friends you could ever have the pleasure of knowing, laughter, lots of schoolwork/research, and even a few tears.

As I worked on various research projects and homework at my parents' home, I reflected on a familiar picture each time I took out the dogs.  This picture has been a part of my parents' homes for as long as I can remember.  Even though I've seen this picture over the years, it held special significance for me during this Spring Break.  I'm officially on the downward slope of this mountain called the doctorate program.  I'm halfway through my 4 year program and over halfway through my coursework...an exciting yet scary prospect!!

Then, tonight as I talked with a friend, something she said jumped out at me and made me think the words in this picture again.  She shared that, "Time has stood still" for her since receiving some life changing news a few weeks ago.  This statement reminded me of what another dear friend who was present tonight said to me last May, "Live in the present.  Don't put your life on hold."

This conversation was just a culmination of a yet another eye-opening night of conversations for me.  You see, I had been at Theology on Tap in Greensboro.  The topic was, "Called Into the Desert".  Here are some notes I took from Dave's talk:

• The desert is the best place we can be.  God calls us there.
• Moses was led into the desert to be broken down and humbled.  We need to let God work through us and need to get out of the way of ourselves for this to happen.
• There are times we might not feel God's presence in our lives.  Perhaps it's at this time that we are being prepared for something.  The desert is a metaphor for our spiritual "blahs"...
• After Jesus was baptized but before his earthly ministry, he was sent to the desert....where he was prepared for something greater.
• We need God to open up our eyes which may happen through spiritual dryness.  Sometimes we're called to the desert to get rid of things that are dragging us down....When I heard these words tonight, I thought to myself...is that why I'm in NC?  Did I need to remove myself from my old life/job/surroundings to grow and become closer to God???  

What Dave said next spoke straight to my heart.  "Sometimes when we're in the desert or in the storm, all we see is the storm or desert.  What we fail to know, at the time, is that God will do anything to care for us, no matter what.  Depend on God, yearn for Him.  He knows the way home and will pull us close to Him".  

These words were definitely what I needed to hear tonight.  I don't know about you but sometimes I have a hard time reaching out to others for help when I need it.  Instead, I should be reaching out (more) to God and leaning on Him rather than trying to do it all alone...Perhaps this is why I keep my life so full and busy...to make time go quickly.

So as I go back and read these words from this familiar picture of my past tonight, the words take on a new meaning for me.  I kid you not, as I wrote tonight, (and listened to Delilah playing in the background), "Time of My Life", the theme song from Dirty Dancing came on the radio.  I suppose this time in the desert really should be the time of my life as Dave alluded to on our way out tonight. 

Finally, I leave you with these words/photo my former roommate posted on my Facebook wall as I typed this post...the image makes me think about what could blossom from my time in the desert..  

 
 "Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow."
~Albert Einstein