I am officially six weeks into having my new braces. I am still not used to them. I am really trying to correct my attitude so that I remember to be grateful for the advancements in orthodontics and that the expense wasn't based on my age. The driving motivation really comes on the days when I can see that some of my teeth have already moved. Now, eating and cleaning are a whole different story. I am a toothbrush-aholic and it has just gotten worse with braces. I know it will be worth it.
Ridley and I go away at the beginning of each year to pray and write. We pick a different place each year. Our retreat is a sweet time to be still, be quiet, and to reflect. It takes a while to be comfortable with the silence. Typically we are both returning calls in the car on the way there. The world has become so noisy and the demands distract us. It's funny how even if my world gets quiet for a moment, my thoughts are making a ruckus.
Our few days away made me think about my braces and our quiet places. Our times away are awkward at first, but necessary. They aren't what I am used to in a normal day. I mean if there aren't the demands of 4 children, coupon clipping, laundry and a career, I don't know how to act. Just as my braces are correcting and realigning my teeth, my quiet getaways realign my thinking and correct my heart. Once I get used to the slower pace and the silence, I really like it. I can see and feel the benefits of it. Those moments challenge me to find that kind of quiet back in the real world. Psalm 46:10 says "Be still and know that I am God". Let's face it. Most days we run around knowing He is God, but do we really stop to be still and KNOW Him?
On this particular getaway, one area of focus was on finishing the book we are writing. That requires some travelling back in time, which is not always comfortable. Prayer, getting in the Word, and reading over my past journal entries, was an incredible time. It was a refresher course of tracing His hand through my life. I was able to recognize how God has answered some prayers and some that I am glad He didn't (the way I wanted). I found areas in my heart that haven't completely healed. I saw the joy in six times the laundry and how God has blessed me. I even read in my journal about the warfare we faced last year when we came home from our retreat. That was so cool to see how I needed to be praying for my family this year.
"He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray." Proverbs 10:17
Brace yourself! It will be worth it.
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That's a neat connection - the quiet time and the braces!
ReplyDeleteIt's funny when we look back and are thankful that God didn't answer our prayers in the specific way we had asked! Sometimes I find myself just praying "you know what I need...better than I know what I need...thank you for already providing." It's sometimes a relief not to have all the right words.
Love you!