Digging Deep With God When You’re Strapped for Time

I was exhausted from two nights of poor sleep, so I announced that Panda Express would be making dinner for the night. Matt had just gotten back from a four-day trip and realized he had forgotten his tablet at the church, so he offered to go with me to get the tablet and the Chinese take-out.

Four days without that man, and I had missed him something fierce. In the car, I kept reaching for his hand, and we took advantage of rush-hour traffic to catch up with each other. (That means I talked and talked and talked, and he listened.)

The trip was short, maybe 20 minutes, but it was a sweet time to be in love and to relish our friendship before we got home to enjoy the evening with our kids.

This has been a wonderful but full couple of weeks. Our daughter and her husband just bought a house that they’re trying to fix up before they move in, so we invited them to eat dinner with us every night. Also, our son is home from college with his sweet girlfriend, so we’ve been clocking precious family time around the table.

Great family time but not a lot of Matt-and-I time, you know? (Stinkin’ kids.)

But hey, we snag us-time whenever we can get it, even if it’s just a chat and holding hands while we run a few errands. Because we’re in loooooove. So in love. It’s almost our 26-year anniversary, and we are livin’ in the sweet spot.

All that to say, my relationship with God looks much the same. This has been a full season—trying to finish up school while having the kids in the house all the time. I haven’t had a lot of energy or brain space for long times of Bible study over the last few weeks.

In seasons like this, I go to reading a short devotional book instead of doing more intense Bible study. And you know what happened just this morning? I had been discouraged about something, and in my short devotional reading, God specifically spoke to my need. (Cool thing –the devotion was written by one of my longtime friends. I think God was planning all along for her words to build me up right at that moment.)

I just want to tell you to stop worrying about the length of your quiet time with the Lord.

Be in love with him.

Want to talk to him.

Quit watching the clock and simply smoosh in as much communication with the Lord whenever you can, even if it’s while you’re in the car running errands.

Here’s what Jesus says:

‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matt. 22:37).

If someone asks you how long your quiet time with God is every day, just get all starry-eyed and say, “Never long enough. Never long enough.” That’s love talking. {eoa}

 Christy Fitzwater is an author and pastor’s wife living in Kalispell, Montana. She is the author of Blameless: Living A Life Free from Guilt And Shame and My Father’s Hands: 52 Reasons to Trust God with Your Heart. Find her devotional writing at christyfitzwater.com.