Oasis
By Jerry Ousley
I took a vacation day
today. I wasn't planning a trip and I wasn't trying to get paid
for being off sick. It was just a day to get caught up on some
things that I hadn't had time to get finished (like this
article).
It has been an unusually busy week, working extra hours on the
job, and being away from home almost every evening. It left me
feeling exhausted and I just needed to catch up.
I know that you've been there too. A day of peace and quiet is
just the prescription needed to get things back into
perspective. We all need that from time to time. If we don't
take it on our own then our bodies will eventually take it for
us.
This day is like an oasis in the week. I love being with my
wife, Debbie, and my daughter, Megan, but a quiet day at home
while she's at work and Megan's at school, being able to do just
what I have planned to do is refreshing and calming. Don't tell
me you've never been there or at least wished that you had.
God ordains oases in our lives. He gives us those "time outs" to
allow us moments of refreshing so we can get our thinking
straight again and be ready to face the things that will always
be there. We can't escape them. We can't run away because they
will somehow find us, whether as the same old problems or under
guise of brand new ones, they'll catch us. We might as well face
them.
As the daily battle rages on there are just times we've got to
get away. I can't tell you how many times I have faced a
situation without the slightest idea of what to do. But after a
few hours of sleep or time away from the problem the answer just
pops into my head. I know you can identify with that.
The "oases" in life are ordained of God. There comes a time for
all of us to get away To put ourselves into a place where we can
hear from Him. In Psalm 46:10, He said, "Be still and know that
I am God." To know Him and to know that He is with us in our
battles we've got to get somewhere and be still. We need to
listen to Him and that requires us to stop doing things, stop
talking, and focus our attention on Him.
I'm not sitting under a palm tree sipping lemonade. I'm not on
some exotic beach just sitting in the sun (physically anyway).
But just the same I'm going to enjoy my oasis today. Maybe it's
time for you to go to an oasis too.
Jerry D. Ousley is the Author of three books, "Soul Challenge",
"Soul Journey" and "Ordeal." Listen to our daily broadcast
Spirit Bread. Find out more by visiting www.spiritbread.com
or email us at jousley@spiritbread.com
