I remember the look on her face like it was yesterday. She appeared to have taken the news of my 24 hour “sanication” respite as if she was just told I was heading to Mars on a Spaceship. Apparently, for some, the thought of being alone, or maybe the thought of no phone, is quite scary. For me, it was a necessity. Scary or not. If I didn’t get away, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next.
This is Part 2 of 2 in a series. {Read Part 1}
Reprinted from July, 2009
Recently I ran away from home for 30 hours on what I affectionately called a “sanication.” In other words, I needed to restore my sanity and took a mini vacation!
Photo courtesy of sxc.hu @Gogumir
When I checked into my hotel, I was somewhat disgruntled to find that it was right off the interstate. My first thought was, if my room faces the highway, I’m switching hotels! But I could hardly ignore the irony that my room ended up directly looking at one of the most beautiful sights in Minneapolis – Central Lutheran Church. (Okay, so maybe I don’t need my iPhone to receive a message…)
Even though that beautiful cathedral was beckoning me to come, I spent my first hours away alone in my room, walking the shopping district, writing, reading and watching movies into the night.
Finally the next day, nearly 24 hours into my sojourn toward peace, I gathered my courage and walked into those hallowed halls. I knew I was being called to that space, but for some reason I was tentative. Some of it was uncertainty – I didn’t know if they would let just anyone in at just any old time. Some of it was fear – I was pretty sure God had something to say to me, and I might not like it.
I pushed through the nagging thoughts and entered the church. At the information desk I asked if the sanctuary was open, and before I knew it I was being escorted into the magnificent space. The attendant’s parting words after unlocking the doors were, “when you leave, just exit through this door.”
Hmmm. That was easier than I thought. Why did it take me a full 24 hours to walk over here and try?
I had asked for silence and a place to escape and I now I had it. It was quite a feeling to be completely alone (save One) in such a vast space. The stained glass windows and architecture were a sight to behold, and it took me a while to feel myself actually breathing, stop running my mind 100 mph and start listening to God.
I received what I would describe as a flurry of insights that cascaded through my mind like snowflakes in a soft winter storm – the quiet kind that brings joy and peace in its wake. It was a holy, precious time, but one that didn’t come easily. After all, I had spent a full 24 hours avoiding the place where I knew He might speak to me.
I wrote in my journal:
I guess you could say I made a covenant with God that day. And after an hour of complete solitude and silence, I walked out somewhat refreshed, but mostly convicted.
I had been neglecting intentional time with God, and the effect on my life and well-being had become painfully obvious.
I would have to work at setting that straight again – it wasn’t going to just happen as I continued the chaotic pace of daily life. I would have to intentionally set apart that sacred time.
As I headed back to my “normal” life, my 30 hours behind me, I was sure of one thing. There was no time to waste.
How do you set apart time to hear from God? Do you have any time away alone experiences to share?