Fire Pits and Hay Rides

I love October!

Roasting marshmallows over a fire pit, going to the county fair, picking pumpkins, and taking hay rides; it's every kid's dream!

The leaves are falling, the temperature is dropping, and everyone is reaching deep into their closet for a change in their wardrobe; even the hipsters are busting out their v-neck and knit scarf combo for these cool days of autumn.

But with all the noise of these festivities, if we're not careful, being present with family and friends will be invaded by a need to post one more selfie to SnapChat or Instagram.

There's a quiet verse tucked away in Mark's Gospel that says, "early in the morning he went away to a solitary place." What's so ironic about this verse is that it's preceded by a rock star like entrance onto this miracle working stage of iconic proportions.

A guy named John had been heralding His coming out party for weeks. He makes an epic appearance by the Jordan River with the sounds of heaven speaking over Him. He does miracle after miracle with sell out crowds in every town He entered. And instead of drinking one more Red Bull and feeding off the enthusiasm of His new found followers, He withdrew.

But why would He withdraw? Surely His new found fame was exhilarating. Surely the masses added value to His agenda. After all, He was doing a good work. He was making a difference in people's lives.

Living off the noise will sustain your lifestyle for a little while. But eventually the noise will create some static. The channel that you're tuned into will eventually get fuzzy. And the vision and purpose you once had will soon get blurry and start to direct your attention and gaze away from your original plan.

So, what about Jesus? I believe He realized that His alone time was not 'me' time. It was a time for His vision to be re-calibrated back to why He originally came. It's wasn't for rock star status. It was servant status.

His identity was secure; who He was would not change with a change in scenery among the crowds. His vision was clear; He saw the end from the beginning and nothing would de-rail His plan.

And it was regular moments spent in solitude alone with His heavenly father that re-united and re-ignited His relationship with His heavenly father.

So what makes us think we can forsake these moments of alone time with God and still find Him satisfying? What makes us think we can sustain a life of meaning apart from the one really gives meaning to life? What we need to find is a place of solitude to drown out the noise. A place where we can hear only His voice!