My wife, in particular, and I had been through a very tough week heading into Fall Break with the death of her mother 9000 miles away in South Africa. As it is for anyone experiencing grief, life still goes on for the people around you. The world does not stop just because yours has. This does not imply people are unsympathetic or callous to your loss; it’s just not their loss. And they have their own lives to live, needs to be met and responsibilities to fulfill. The clamorous noise of life is still resounding for them and, as Jesus exhibited, the best way to deal with this fact is to withdraw from it. So we went to the beach, to the noise of the ocean waves and sea gulls, and the rhythms of the tides to rest and pray.
With so many needs and limited time, it is a fair question to ask why Jesus withdrew from the people to “lonely places”? Why not gut it out and continue to sacrifice for others? In the Western, and particularly the American, culture, we are practically obsessed with activity and success, and most Christians are no exception. Pastors are evaluated and evaluate themselves on the basis of numbers and busyness. I recently talked with one colleague who said he hadn’t had a real vacation in more than seven years. And even if he had, the typical American vacation is more exhausting rather than restful; thus the popular statement, “I need a vacation to recover from my vacation!”
As with everything in life as a follower of Jesus, we need to observe and imitate what He did as far as it is possible for fallen human beings to do. And one of the things He repeatedly did was withdraw from the hubbub of life in order to be refreshed by spending time with the Father without all the competing distractions, including legitimate ones such as people in need of healing, food, and comfort. For Him, the legitimacy of the needs was not the issue; rather it was the necessity of spending time with the Father for His own well-being. If it was true for Jesus, then most certainly it has to be true for us.
As I write, I recognize I am one of the worst at this. I like staying busy; I like my time occupied by tasks to accomplish and people with whom to meet. Withdrawing to be alone with the Lord has always been a challenge. But I need it and so do you, and not just when traumatic things occur in our lives. We need it on a regular basis, as a part of the rhythm of our lives. We need to withdraw from school, work, social media, and the needs of our friends and others to be replenished by our Heavenly Father, just as Jesus did.
I can confidently say our trip to the beach was exactly what we needed. And it reminded me of how important it is to find a “lonely place” regularly to spend time in reflection and prayer. It may be a hiking trail, a park, or even the quiet corner of a bedroom where we are undisturbed by the noise of normal life and able to talk and listen to the Father.
Today, ask the Lord to help you find a lonely place where you can go and spend time with Him. It is what Jesus did. Isn’t it wise to follow His example?
© Jim Musser 2017
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