When time for ourselves is desperately needed.
Table of Contents
Time for ourselves
Making time for ourselves sounds so trite and way too selfish. I mean we read so much about it that’s it’s actually lost it’s meaning. It’s become nothing more than a popular trend, the whole self-care movement. And, yes, it’s important we care for ourselves. But I’m not talking about that.
I’m talking about time for ourselves, alone time. I wrote yesterday about having an anxiety attack on Monday and told you how I use one of the tools from my first book, Depression Has A Big Voice. Make Yours Bigger! That tool was distraction.
I found I needed more today.
Alone with God
The week went well but this morning I knew God and I needed some alone time in the wintry woods near my home. There was a lot on my mind. We live near a beautiful area and our parks all end up at Lake Michigan. As a child, I lived the same distance from Lake Michigan as I do today. Funny, huh? I never thought about it till I was out walking this morning.
Anyway, I knew I needed to be outside today. (Which is why this post is late.) I needed time for myself, to think and to pray. There was a fresh snowfall and the snow was hanging heavily on the trees. I felt I was being propelled to hike in the woods, just me and God because I needed a different kind of alone time with him.
A walk around the block can accomplish the same thing but I encourage everyone to try and take a walk in the woods if there are any nearby. Even if there aren’t any, there is usually a park or a green space in even the biggest cities. And even with all the noise, you can still find that quiet place within yourself. I have and I’ve been in some very large, very noisy cities.
We can always find our quiet center if we just try.
My husband likes to snowshoe but I can’t so we drive separately and walk together for a while and then go our separate ways. Today I had the trail to myself. I walked and prayed finding it hard to concentrate on just one person or circumstance because there were so many grabbing for my attention. Maybe that’s why I got kind of lost.
The detour
I know this area like I know my own backyard but I decided to veer off path and take this little side trail. It ended up nowhere and I had to turn around. For a nanosecond, I was a little nervous but then I remembered how well I know this area well. I stopped and got my bearings then retraced my steps to the main path.
As I headed back I couldn’t help but think of all the detours we take in our lives. Most of us have taken a wrong path at some point or another, and God lets us. I don’t much like that but I know it to be true. But when we turn around, he is there. Don’t you just wish he would just stop you before you make that wrong turn in the first place?
Alone time is refreshing
I felt so refreshed when I finished my walk.
I think all Christians need undistracted time alone with God. That’s self-care because it’s soul-care. And sometimes soul-care can only be achieved by alone time.
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I hope you are not afraid of alone-time. Many people are. For me, it’s something I’ve also known I needed. I am not afraid to be by myself. Aloneness is very different than loneliness. Jesus certainly knew about taking time for himself and he usually picked the woods as well. Maybe that’s why I enjoy it so much. I can just picture him walking the same paths I did.
And, of course, he was.
God bless and have a good day.
