Jeremiah 33:3 – Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. (ESV)

Recently, I was in a hurry getting the children and myself ready for school. So, this particular morning, I picked up my shoes and made my way to the living room to sit down, as I encouraged the children to switch off and move away from their gadgets and get their paraphernalia together, in every sense.

As I bent forward to put on my shoes, I looked down and saw that they were not a pair. They were different makes and both the same side of a pair. I was sure that I had picked up two shoes together, which I had, but apparently not the right two shoes! Oh dear! So, off to the bedroom I went to find the companion to one set of shoes. In the process, I wondered how I had managed to misjudge so badly in picking up my shoes.

Sometimes, I am in a rush in the morning, half asleep. Okay, quite often, I am in a rush in the morning during term-time to get the children and myself into the car and off.

This school journey is something that I will miss in September because Zoë goes up to start secondary school, and she will walk there with her friends. Zoë is usually quite talkative, and so, the car journey will be quieter, as Sophia will not have to compete with her elder sister to be heard, and hopefully, I will be better able to concentrate on the driving.

I know that God wants to have a conversation with us in the morning. He asks us to put aside time to be quiet and peaceful in His presence, rather than being in too much of a rush to get on with the chores and tasks of the day ahead.

I often rush off into the day and find that, not unlike my mismatched shoes, I have not brought my Travel Companion with me. In some manner, I have become one-sided, having left Jesus behind. So, this has left me in need to catch up with God through the day, relying on His grace, until I find Him the space so that I am able to receive and to hear from Jesus, and in return, lift up those people and situations on my heart in need of prayer.

Let each one of us take time to pair up with God this morning, so that we have checked in with Jesus before getting on with the chores of the day.

Prayer: Lord, You are gracious and compassionate in the patience that You show towards us every day. Please forgive us when we presume to get on with the day without inviting You in to our lives and situations. Prompt us to remember that You always want to be paired up with us and have a conversation. May we know Your presence with us and receive Your Word for us today. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Rod Marshall <roderickhenrymarshall@gmail.com>
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England
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