staying in touch with the gift

One of the things that concerns me with being away is the threat of losing my edge in reading and drawing out the nourishing life of God's word of self-revelation. So I'm going to take some time each week to think about a verse or two from Psalm [16 as it happens] which was given to me as a passage to carry into the Grand Adventure of being so far from home.
Keep me safe, my God,
for in You I take refuge
The first phrase depends entirely upon the second for its likelihood of becoming a reality. In our struggles, at some time we must come to the realisation that there is nowhere safer, more secure, more likely to lead to our heaing and restoration than consciously and intentionally bringing ourselves into the presence of God. This has been my experience during the pain of being separated from my wife Bernie. For nearly a whole week I wallowed in the most horrible grief and loneliness - finding all sorts of things repugnant about the environment in which I'd become immersed. A salutary challenge from my daughter got me searching for a better frame of mind.
Then as I read through Rob Bell's excellent book "Sex God" he talks about channelling my life's energy into something that is both good and generous. I saw that applying to launching into things here with real verve, but also about the passion and vision that I'm hoping to take back home to both Forrest Hill and the North Shore Presbytery.
This came as I had sat reading and seeking God (almost without knowing that was what I was doing.)
From that point the sense of ache has remarkably diminished - but not only due that particular nocturnal conversation, but has been sustained by successive similar conversations. And these conversations can actually had out loud too when no-one else is around.
So take refuge in God and find the safety that he longs to impart to you.

If you want to ask how to take refuge in God, you're going to have to reply to this or email me directly at brickbristow@gmail.com