Last week was a good week but it was very busy.  My back feels really great!  It has been 4 months since my spinal fusion and my lower back does not bother me at all.  I have no sciatic nerve pain and no aches in my hips or my legs.  My back muscles are loosening up and the do not seem quite as stiff as they have been in the past month.  I am getting used to wearing the smaller brace now and I am no longer waking up in the early morning hours because of any stiffness.  I have been walking on the treadmill now for almost 2 weeks.  One thing I have noticed is that I have fallen out of the routine of exercising every morning.  I missed two days of walking in the morning last week.  And while I made up the time by walking in the evening it was somewhat disconcerting.  Before the surgery when I ran 5 days each week, I had certain days set aside for running.  Nothing and no one interfered with those times.  I hardly ever missed a day of running unless my back was REAL bad or unless I had an illness that totally shut me down.  I missed those days working out this week because I have been so busy in the office the last month.

As a matter of fact I set aside a day and worked from home on Friday so that I could get a lot of work done.  I was able to finish twice as much work at home as I would have been able to do at the office.  I avoided the distractions of phones ringing, discussions about World Cup soccer, who’s violating dress code and the other general distractions that come up from time to time in an office setting.   It felt very good to take care of some of the projects that are due this week and get them done early and not have to worry about them.

It is so nice to be able to set some boundaries and have a quiet time.  It is so great to be able to tackle some important issues and just get them over with.  Usually important issues take our undivided attention.  When I think of quiet times and tacking important issues I think of Moses and his request to see God in Exodus chapter 34.  Moses had been asked to lead a stubborn, obstinate group of people on a great journey.  As Moses is dealing with the ramifications of that request he asks God if he could please see God in all His Glory.  God told Moses, you cannot handle seeing all of My Glory but I will let you look upon Me as I pass by.  Then in the next chapter God gives Moses instructions so that they can share this special time together.  God tells Moses in Exodus 34:2-3

Ex 34:2 “So be ready by morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to Me on the top of the mountain.  3 “No man is to come up with you, nor let any man be seen anywhere on the mountain; even the flocks and the herds may not graze in front of that mountain.”

God has Moses set up a special time with no distractions, no interruptions, no other people, not even the flocks and the herds and there He and Moses have a special time together.  God gives Moses a glimpse of His glory and then He promises to go with Moses and the people.  Moses had an awesome time in the Lord’s presence.

I know that I need to have special times set aside not just for getting work done, not just for exercising but I need to have special times set aside for worship.  I need to have special times where I set boundaries that no one is allowed to cross so that I can have uninterrupted one-on-one time with the Lord.  There need to be times where the phone, the TV, and other people cannot interrupt me.  For me those times are usually in the car as I drive to work.  Sometimes those times are late in the evening. Sometimes they are early in the morning.  Sometimes those times of worship and reflection and prayer have even been when I have been running on a treadmill listening to some praise music.  Whenever those times are, when I have made those times about the Lord and not about me, I have seen a glimpse of God’s glory.

I hope that you get a chance to set appropriate boundaries for yourself this week.  I hope you get a chance to make some special time for God and I hope you get a chance to see His Glory this week.  Until next time may God bless you and those you love.

If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you can send me an email directly at pastorpstephens@aol.com