Breaking Camp

Warmed up a little this morning for our doggie walk, 25 balmy degrees! By the way, I did not run yesterday, I admit it and I believe I hear my lungs thanking me for it now! I am going to try to run today before I get to the Creek, note the key word there. Try. I seem to have lost the fire for running that I once had and it makes me sad. I don't know what's up with me! I think gaining some of my weight back and not having a place to work out at might have something to do with it. Maybe after the Christmas season, I will be able to reassess and get into some kind of a healthy habit/regiment. Like not eating everything I can get my hands on!


I came across this statement made by W.R. Matthews, Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Has the time come to move on? Then, break up camp with a good heart. It is only one stage on the journey home. I think we forget that each part or stage of our life is just that, part of the whole. We forget that God has given us stages to grow through and we become stuck and frustrated when we don't break camp with a good heart. We mistakenly think that this stage we are in now, is the whole of life and that this is where we should be forever and always. We forget to listen for God's voice, to see Him calling to us in the everyday things of life. 


I'm going to give you an example from my own life. I remember a time, not so long ago, that I was counting the day's until Preacher man graduated and we could leave the Holy city of Wilmore, to break camp with a good heart. Now, I am finding that I miss the depth of worship three times a week, the heart felt prayers of classmates that were shared as part of class, and the real struggles that we went through in our process of discerning God's will, together. Now, back in the world, we are rushing to and fro, self absorbed with ourselves and our needs and our desires. There is a lack of honest, true community in my life and I am ready to break camp with a vengeful heart and get back to the Holy city! I miss the honesty of bearing our hearts and souls that happened there! I also can not believe that I just said that!


But then this morning, my scripture reading comes from Isaiah 26:2 Open the gates so that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. There is a righteous nation right here in Rogers and I have been too busy remembering and holding on to the stage in Wilmore. It was a stage, part of the whole, but not the whole. The stage I am in now needs to have the gate to my heart opened so that the classmates of this stage may enter in. 


I encourage you to look at and listen for God calling you in the everyday of your life. Are you looking inward all the time? Then it will be hard to see God working. Are you plugged up and tuned into your desires? Then it will be hard to hear God's voice. Is it time to break camp and move on, so that God can meet you, open your gates and show you the next part of your whole? 

Lift up your heads, O gates!

and be lifted up, O ancient doors!

that the King of glory may come in. 

Who is the King of glory?

The Lord, strong and mighty,

the Lord, mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O gates!

and be lifted up, O ancient doors!

Who is this King of glory?

The Lord of hosts,

he is the King of glory.

Psalm 24:7-10