This summer has turned out to be quite the busy season of life. In the last month, I've taught at VBS, been to church camp, gave a Wednesday night lesson on Isaiah 6, picked up teaching a Sunday School class, done some camping, and worked 160 hours or so. And I've enjoyed every moment of it (well, the vast majority of the moments, anyway :)).
One thing that I'm thankful for is the time I've had in the mornings. At 5:00 AM or shortly after, both Mom and I wake up and eat breakfast and spend some quiet time at the kitchen table. For some reason, time spent reading the Bible or praying or journaling seems more natural when a cup of coffee and another believer are beside you. These moments have become part of the ebb and flow of my life this summer, and God has been teaching me that it's meant to be that way. I'm not studying to write a biblical exegetical paper, come up with an awesome blog idea, or make a decision about a theological issue. The best way to describe it is that I'm waking up and sharing breakfast with Jesus.
As strange, cheesy, and/or cliche that may sound, I'm re-discovering the joy of having no agenda in quiet time other than to spend time--to commune--with the Spirit. I've known for a long time that I'm "supposed" to do that, but actually working that stillness into my life--into the plot of my story, the theme of my canvas, the rhythm of my song--has been a challenge. But, to bring this post around to its title, I think our camp pastor at MFuge (Gary Morgan) said it well: One of our goals as Christians is to have God's rhythms become ours. As a musician, that analogy made good sense to me. A rhythm is basically the "beat" of a song, the consistent pattern set by the percussion instruments (like drums) that has a lot to do with how the song sounds and feels. So, by giving up our own messed up rhythms to God and accepting his instead, we can experience life as its meant to be.
God's rhythms--obedience, humility, desire to know Him and make Him known, etc.--change our lives. They make life abundant and adventurous and full of unexpected turns and new experiences. They're not easy to learn, and we'll most assuredly mess them up. But the best part is that we can only learn the rhythms by spending time with the Musician Himself. He invites us, commands us, and welcomes us into His presence, where we can both learn His rhythms and enjoy His company forever. Our God really is great, isn't he?
