“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!”
1 Chronicles 16:11

The other night I decided to jog to our neighborhood lake for some last minute exercise. It was dark, but the moon was out. Once I got to the parking lot, I walked down to the dock. No one else was there. The sounds of the frogs croaking, the crickets chirping, and hearing the herons flying away from the noise of my footsteps (which lightly rocked the dock), filled my ears, giving me a sense of calm. Walking to the furthest point of the floating dock and looking over the water, I could see the fog slowly rolling in. The moon was appearing more hazy now, as the fog drifted lazily upward and began to surround me.

Since I always carry my phone, I took advantage of the moment and kept trying to get a photo that captured what I saw and felt. After several attempts, and the bugs having found me, I could no longer stay down there. I was getting eaten alive so it was time to go.

As I turned to head back home, I immediately realized that this was a missed opportunity. Sure, the scene was serene and quiet, with the night sounds surrounding me while no one else was in sight, but this was an even better time for me to pray. Most of the time, when visiting our little lake, I am alone, and have plenty of opportunity to talk to the Lord. But this night, I had forgotten to. Rather, I was so focused on taking – taking a picture in this instance – that I neglected to take time to be with Him.

In spite of the mosquitos having found me, I chose to spend a few moments and give – give thanks to the Lord, praise Him, and give to Him my undivided attention. In turn, He gave back to me. The Lord reminded me of how He gives to me His time, His ears to hear my prayers and pleas, His hands that help me, His heart that loves me unconditionally, His Spirit that guides me and His forgiveness that has washed me clean. Jesus has given to me His life, as He has done for you.

Pause for a moment…. take time and enjoy the beauty around you and what you’ve been given. AND, spend some of that time with the Lord today. He gave it to you. Talk to Him. You will never get this hour back. Use it wisely and He will bless you for it – He will give you even more of Himself.

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
Ephesians 5:15-17

Food for thought: “With God, there’s always an appointed time for things, and when you put Him first, trust in His timing, and keep the faith, miracles happen!” 
― Germany Kent

Fun facts: Horology is the scientific study of the measurement of time.

Photo by: Kari Wiseman – Foggy moon