Throughout this journey I’ve spent approximately 15 years in mainstream broadcasting, and 15 years in pulpit ministry. Before heading into full-time time ministry finding quiet time for God was always a hard thing to do. I found myself challenged by Pastors who would say things like “It’s easy to find time for God. Just set the time aside in your day. If you have to, put it in your Daytimer.” The words sound easy, but follow through is often difficult.

When I went into full time ministry, finding time was of course somewhat easier. After all, now I was a paid professional to spend time with God. Suddenly it was much easier to linger a while longer at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee, my Bible and a devotional book. From time to time I even found myself proclaiming what were always well-intentioned words of encouragement about “fitting time for God into the Daytimer.” But, once again, that’s always easier said than done.

A few years ago I found God re-adjusting my journey some as He put me back into the wonderful world of broadcasting. Once again, I was suddenly faced with the issue of finding time for God. Just how in the world could I fit Him into my Daytimer with everything else that was now pulling on my time. Of course these days I find myself not quite as rigid in the process of finding time for God. Brother Lawrence practiced the presence of God at all times. But even while saying that, sometimes it seems like a cop-out and an excuse for not finding some time to read a devotional book.

Through the years as I’ve found myself back in the workforce and trying to find God at work, I’ve tried a number of things. But you know what I’ve discovered, it doesn’t have to be brain surgery. There are a number of devotional books with short daily readings available these days. Some of those books I’ve actually collected along the way. For many years some have even sat and simply collected dust on my bookshelves. At least they look good I would often say to myself. But now it’s time to take them off the shelf, dust them off, and actually use them.

As I’ve mentioned before on this blog, I’m reading a collection of Thomas Merton devotionals at home. Well, sitting on my desk at work I have another collection of devotionals, this one is by W.E. Sangster. He was an old Methodist preacher from England, filled with incredible insight. The daily readings are short, and suddenly it’s a little easier to pause, at least for a couple minutes, at some point during the busy day, to think on God, at least for a few moments.

A Fellow Sojourner,
Dr. Rus

I once gave an assignment to a congregation – Go home and try to get quiet before God for 10 minutes. Find Him in the silence. Stop the noise of your mind working on the shopping list. Stop the thoughts of what’s for dinner. Stop the noise of the radio in the background. And, if you have to, turn off the computer and stop the hum that drones on and on. Have you ever tried to do that? Just get quiet before God? While it sounds like an easy assignment, when you actually try to do it, you discover just how hard it is to get quiet.

We live in a noise filled world. Whether it’s the hum of appliances, the sound of a TV, music from a sound system, or just random traffic noise, it’s hard to get totally quiet before God. Toss on top of the noise just listed, there’s the noise of competing opinions, the noise of politics, the noise of sports, and even the noise of life. But, to truly discover who we are, we must dare to get quiet so we can hear who we’re not.

We find ourselves at the beginning of another Lenten season. This is a season to reflect on the sacrifice of the Cross. In less than 40 days now it will be Easter time. Easter comes early this year, and I do believe many will forget about it, simply because the noise of the world will take our minds off the fact that Easter is in March.

How are you spending your time in preparation for reflection on the ultimate sacrifice known to humans. The sacrifice of another, giving up His life, so that we might have life.

A Fellow Sojourner,
Dr. Rus

I was reading another entry in my A Year with Thomas Merton book today entitled “Bearing Witness to the Resurrection.” It’s a great entry where Merton talks about where he finds happiness, and where he is most happy. In this particular entry Merton said he is “happier than he’s ever been” while singing in the choir. He goes on to say he can hardly “hold himself in place, expecting every moment to be his last.”

Merton also points out that when he’s at his toolshed hermitage he is “always happy and at peace, no matter what happens. For here, there is no need for anyone but God.”

Then suddenly out of no-where, the entry ends with the sentence – “A fly buzzes on the windowpane!” Did this fly suddenly pull him out of the things and thoughts of God, directly back into what many call the real world?

This got me wondering just how often we find ourselves distracted from the peace of God through daily, and many times the mundane, things of life. A fly buzzing on the windowpane suddenly becomes our excuse for the moment to stop thinking on the things of God.

What is buzzing on your windowpane today taking your attention away from God? Is it a worthy distraction? Or is it best to ignore it, so you can continue pondering the things of God.

A Fellow Sojourner,
Dr. Rus