My Appointment With God

Today was not the day that I envisioned. I spent part of it on the phone working my way through automated answerers trying to get to a real live human being. I especially found it offensive that the automated voice answered with this: "Hello, my name is Chad." No, you are a tape. You are no longer Chad. Chad could help me. You can only tell me what buttons to push. Sigh. After a nice lunch with Maggy and a trip to Wal-Mart for a few supplies, I took off for some time of solitude and prayer. I found an out-of-the-way corner at Beach Park and sat down at a picnic table. Getting out my journal I began conversing with my Father while enjoying the sunny day, the beautiful sky, and the sights and sounds of the water. There were very few people in the park. After writing down several things that were on my mind and praying some, and letting my mind wander some, I decided to head down to the end of the pier. I enjoyed a long talk with my Abba. In fact, I was very surprised that for nearly and hour and a half no one disturbed me at the end of this public pier. What a blessing to be able to have that time to ourselves. My devotional reading was from the fifty-year-old "My Heart, Christ's Home" by Robert Boyd Munger. I read half of it, but that was all of the conviction I could take. As I read Munger's account of taking Christ from room to room in his heart, I could identify with the things written. I prayed through those chapters. I would often glance up, expecting to see someone coming to enjoy the pier, but no one ever did until close to the end of my time there. They stayed only a minute or two. I watched the pelicans diving beneath the water's surface, only to reappear in a few seconds. There were the ever present seagulls. I saw some ducks and what I thought was a loon. Of course I know as much about wildlife as I do about space exporation. It could have been a chicken. One of the most pleasant surprises of the afternoon was the sailboat that made it's way past me to the West, and then at some point out of my range of vision, it turned around and sailed by very close. I enjoyed taking pictures of these things while I thanked God for them. I have the pictures posted HERE if you are interested. Overall, as I look back, I felt that I had an appointment with God. I wonder how often He has waited for me when I never bothered to stop long enough to talk with Him? I also wonder if all appointments look the same? I certainly found some peace of heart and mind today with my Father.