“I’m hiding out under your wings until the hurricane blows over.” Psalm 57.1
When work stresses get to me, I fall into a standard routine. I do not know how the routine started or why; it just happens when it happens. I recognize when I am in the resting-place and have come to laugh at myself because of it.
I discovered I have two routines. Discovering the second routine came as a big surprise. When did the routine start? Who introduced me to it, or how did I learn?
When life goes crazy at work, I get organized. I review my folders; I check my filing system for completeness and organization. I examine my office layout; I can always improve things! The result is that I clean my office inside and out several times each year.
I share the following knowing that I continue to fail. My life is not an example for anyone other than ways not to do things! I find myself becoming increasingly aware of my self-focus as a pursue God. I also find myself walking a path that mirrors David’s place of hiding and safety.
When life goes crazy, especially when I lose my bearings, I find myself retreating into God. I initially tried to put labels on the routine; prayer, meditation, quiet place, and so on, but nothing quite captured the actions. Common attributes include the following:
I recognize who I am and what I bring to the table
I sense my lack with every fiber of my being
I desire God’s presence more than anything else – more than breath or food or family or . .
I seek God expressing my desire to be with him and my adoration for who he is
I rest in God until God says I should move.
I do nothing until God fills me and then releases me back to do his work.
Paraphrasing Benton: God is a God of the broken, a friend of the weak. He washes the feet of the weary and embraces the ones in need.
He is your friend.