Father, Son Time

Creation reflects Dad-Romans 1:20

I run the distance of a 5k about 4 days a week for exercise, am blessed to live in a place where I can run around a beautiful lake in the woods as my path and I do this for leisure as well as to keep my self in shape physically, mentally and spiritually.  The physical part is self explanatory.  Mentally, doing this, allows me to empty my mind of the busyness life throws at it everyday and capture my thoughts on things of Dad.

And then there is the spiritual side.....

While I run which takes me anywhere from 20-25 minutes to do, I am talking (aka praying;-) to Dad about people and things going on in my life on a regular basis.  When done running, I sit on this concrete bench available and meditate on the scene of the lake and woods for a bit and it is here that I "see" and have an awesome encounter with Dad's trinity personality through creation. 

As I take in the sky, Dad reminds me of how He is my shield of protection on a regular basis just like He was for my ancestors during their rescue from Egypt.  This also reminds me of how He conceived us and later on, big brother Jesus out of His love for us (John 3:16). 

Depending on the weather, it is usually either cloudy or sunny.  Either way, in this I encounter big brother Jesus and am reminded of how He is a reflection of Dad.  If it is sunny, it reminds me of how He is the light of the world and the reason we can know and, as a result, "see" Dad or as He put it, "whoever has seen me has seen the Father."  And even if it is cloudy, His light is so bright that I can still see everything around me which is evidence of both Dad's and His presence even though I can't see His face of which the sun is symbolic of.

And then there is His/their Holy Spirit.  It is the very air I breathe in and out and I can even see it on certain cold mornings.  I view it in the mornings either through a fog that floats across the lake on certain mornings or in the reflection off the water on other mornings.

 As I view the lake, I am reminded of all the both life and messy chaos that exists just below the surface of the water and yet the water remains calm.  It is in this that Dad reminds that His spirit floats around and in the chaos of the world we live in everyday.  He reminds though not to fear or become paralyzed by it, but to keep living within it and charging it head on for He has overcome the world, greater is He who is in me than in the world. 

If you are like me and can imagine the refueling that goes on during this time with Dad, then you understand why I do it.  Given that, I encourage you to do the same. 

You can do this through either running, walking, or some other form of Father/Child time with Dad.  Give yourself about 20-30 minutes a day with Dad, talk, and then be still and listen as He reminds you that He is Dad. 

You can also do this through napping during the day or sleeping at night.  Before you do either, ask Dad to help you rest, invite Him into your dreams to love and enjoy you, to protect you from the enemy as you do so and then to help you remember and interpret everything He wants you to.  If you do this with a sincere heart wanting to encounter Him, He will show up.

If this sharing of my time with Dad inspired you in some way and/or you try some or any of this and encounter Dad yourself, or if you have another way you encounter Him that might be useful to someone else, share it with us here.  With that, thanks, and may Dad continue to bless us all richly!