First United Methodist Church Carrollton

There is something sacred about the early morning!  I love to get up when it is still dark outside and go running and talking to the Lord.  Somehow it seems like it is easier to hear the Lord speak at that time.  Maybe because the rest of the world is still quiet, I can hear God’s voice clearer.  Or maybe I am just more focused and trying to listen.  But there is something incredible about running under the stars when there is no one else around.  Sacred!  That is the best word to describe it.

It is my prayer time, but I try to refrain from doing all the talking.  I really am pretty good about telling God what I want Him to do and who He should heal and how He should handle things.  (I’m sure He appreciates my wise counsel!)  But I have found the most powerful prayer time is when I just say, “Lord, I need you.  Please guide me.” And then I try to just listen.  I don’t always feel like I hear from the Lord…probably because I am not listening.  But this morning I clearly heard two things. 

The first thing I felt the Lord told me … or rather reminded me, because He has told me before: “when I tell you to do something you need to do it right then.”  I sort of felt my hand being slapped and I knew exactly what I was being told.  You know those times when you feel the Lord speaking to your spirit to do something – only you are too busy right then or have other plans and so you put it off thinking you will do it later.  Unfortunately, sometimes later never comes because you have missed the window of opportunity.  I am very aware of some critical times in my life where I did not act on what I knew God was telling me to do and then it was too late.  I realized I had just missed another opportunity, though I am not sure I realized the full impact it would have or what blessing I had just missed by not obeying. I knew that yesterday I felt like there were some things I should have done, but I just was not in the mood to do them when God told me and so I put it off.

So that has to do with the second thing I felt the Lord saying: “it’s not about you.”  Wow, that is a real deflator to be reminded that everything does not revolve around me!  When you see life from your own perspective you sort of get wrapped up in what you want and what makes you feel good.  But what a selfish world this would be if we all lived life just for ourselves.  Maybe that is part of the problem with our society today is that there are too many of us who think it is about us.  I was reminded about a song, actually one that I used to sing over and over in my head while running.  Maybe I need to start that again.  The words are:  “It’s all about you, Jesus.  And all this is for you – for your glory and your fame.  It’s not about me, as if you should do things my way.  You alone are God.  You alone are God.  You alone are God and I surrender to your ways.” 

I know my focus needs to be on Christ and I need to be obedient when the Holy Spirit speaks to me.