Keeping up with the rush of life

I have been thinking the past few days how we often tend to forget about God, reading the Bible ect when life gets busy. I have been really busy at work the past couple of weeks and since we are understaffed, i'm often really tired when i come home. So i must admit that i haven't spent as much time as i would like reading God's Word and praying. It would be great to come home after a busy day of doing whatever and just shut the world out for a time to spend time having a chat with our heavenly Father.

This poem i've had every since i came back from England in '98 has been something i look at occassionally to remind me about taking time out with God regularly.

Close to God ( from a newsletter at the church i attended in England - Retford Baptist )

The traffic's growling slowly by,
A radio blares with it's volume high,
Busy crowds rushing here and there,
Pushing and shoving, does no-one care ?
Shouting and screaming, a fight breaks out,
Self and gain is what it's all about,
Love and concern just can't be found.

Does anyone know there's a God out there ?
They just don't know, they just don't care,
What we've created is greed and gain,
But it's just for this His son was slain,
He can get through, He can be found,
But not in the noise and the rushing around,
We need time to listen to what He says,
Time to hear, and time to praise.

Just walk through the beauty of what He has made,
The rolling hills or a peaceful glade,
Just listen to soft music or meaningful words,
The joy of young children, the singing of birds,
The care and concern of honest, true friends,
The love of a mother as her child she tends,
In the rush of self-gaining all one could,
Just stop, look and listen,
BE CLOSE TO GOD.

Well that's my bit of insight for the day. I hope that as you read these words, they will have a deep meaning as they did to me back then and now.

Often we need to take time out from the world for a short time. For me that means, cellphone and computer off if i'm gonna stay in my room. Otherwise i should ( i say should coz i don't atm ) go out for a walk around my 'hood. Talking about walking around the places where we live, it was a great time just walking and praying around Spinella drive during a recent Youth Leaders retreat. I was thinking about all the lives in these houses and our church at the top of the hill. We have a great opportunity to reach into the lives of those in our community, we just need to take the time to get to know those around us.

More food for thought later ...