I’ll never forget that moment. Susannah and I had recently been married and had returned from our honeymoon. I had several relatives who succeeded in partially ruining our wedding day with shenanigans and pranks. Think handcuffs at the reception, among other incidents before, during, and after—some were thwarted and others weren’t.
The angry husband was so upset with his relatives and expressed this to his wife. This is when she informed her immature spouse that she blamed him, not them. It was his job to put her best interests first and protect this most special of days. She was right.
I had neglected my true love when it greatly mattered. What a somber moment. It still stings over 17 years later. There is a loss than can’t be undone by time.
I’m in the midst of a six-week sabbatical and had another one of these moments. Yay for me! After being frustrated halfway through my time away because none of my plans were panning out and I was just as burned out as when I started, I was able to get away on an overnight camping trip. The noises and distractions were gone, and I finally gave the Lord my full attention.
I realized that, to a degree, the sabbatical was needed because it was my fault. I was burned out in part because I’ve had a prolonged period of inadequate Quiet Time, the daily private fellowship with the Lord. Sure, I’ve spent a good bit of time with the Lord while working for Feed the Hunger and writing for the ministry, but my personal time was lacking. It had (and must continue) to be something more than it was on most days, more than reading a few verses and saying a quick prayer.
I had neglected my True Love when it greatly mattered. What a somber moment. It still stings right now. There is a loss that can’t be undone by time.
To be sure, there is a lot on my daily family and ministry plate. But the road to disappointment and personal failure is paved with excuses. There is nothing more important than a solid and consistent time of personal Bible study, reflection, and prayer.
Maybe you’ve struggled in this area too. It’s amazing how we humans often avoid doing the very thing that could restore us. We crawl, walk, and run from God, depending on the circumstances. Maybe it’s because of laziness, selfishness, or just plain stupidity (a “yes” for me on all counts). What should be our first priority takes an extended stay at being last on our to-do list.
As I had a true Quiet Time with the Lord on the camping trip, I recalled the following passage from Lamentations. While the context of this Old Testament book is mourning over the fall of Jerusalem, I believe we can apply it to getting over times of disappointment, whether caused from the outside or self-inflicted.
I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall.
I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me.
Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”
The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;
It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
Lamentations 3:19–26
Awesome. Thanks