Refreshed

Last weekend my husband told me to plan on having Tuesday to myself. "To do what?" I asked. "Whatever you want" was his reply. I LOVE spending time with my little family of four but thought that it might be nice to have a morning alone. I wondered what I should do with this gift of time. I could go shopping. I can always find something for the kids, a new book for my shelf or a new item for our home. But sometimes roaming through department stores can make me dissatisfied. I don't have room in my home for "stuff." I can't afford a particular item I want. You get the idea.
So then I thought about getting together with a couple of other women. And while I do have wonderful Christian friends, sometimes it's nice to be alone where I'm not tempted to compare, to be critical, or to gossip. And besides, I am blessed to see many of my friends on a regular basis.
I then considered the idea of going out to purchase for myself a couple of new shirts. It's getting cooler and I could use some new clothes. But as quickly as that idea entered my mind it followed with this thought, "Why dress up the outward man when I know the inward man is what needs attention? I can try to pretty up my physical appearance all I want, but it's my heart that I need to focus on."
And with that, I KNEW what I wanted to do with my Tuesday morning. I wanted to be completely alone in a secluded spot to have time, lots of time, with God. I asked the Lord to direct to me a place where I could talk to Him without any distractions, and He did just that! When I left home I didn't know where I was going to go, but God did! I purposely took my camera because I was excited to see where I was going to end up and I wanted to be sure to get a picture of it.

And THIS is where the Lord send me to spend a morning with Him: It's very easy to worship the Creator when in the midst of His beautiful creation!
I was on a long, rugged trail all by myself without hearing or seeing a single car or person. I didn't even take my cell phone.

How anyone can deny that there is a God is beyond me.

"Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord!"

(Psalm 96:11-12)

I didn't get a new book to read. I didn't get a new outfit to wear or something cute to hang on my wall. But I did get what money can't buy and I felt refreshed and recharged afterward!