Dry

"out of season"

2 Timothy 4:2

It's evening as I write this.  It has been a long day.  I was up and out of the house first thing, then stopped back at home long enough to have breakfast.  Then I left again for an appointment. 

Then I came home, and left again ten minutes later.  That time I was gone for a couple of hours. 

When I came home from that excursion, I was home for a couple hours, but I was exhausted and having trouble motivating myself to accomplish anything before I left again.

And leave again I did.  My hubby's car is in the shop, so I needed to pick him up from work, and drop my Awesome Girl off to do some volunteer work with her friends.  Then I came home and had dinner with my boy and my man. 

Then an hour later I left to pick up my girl.  I don't think I drove to any location more than 15 miles from my house, but I put about 75 miles on my car today.  I got very little done, and I'm exhausted. 

I can't say that I didn't pray today, but I have no idea what I said to Him, or if He said anything back to me.  And I never read the Bible.   I will before bed, but I gotta be honest ~ I feel spiritually dry today.  It made me think of this verse in 2 Timothy:  "Preach the word!  Be ready in season and out of season.  Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching." 

It's a tough verse.  It's not one I want to be reminded of on a tiring day.   How can I preach the word, convincing, rebuking, exhorting... when I've barely given Him a thought all day?  But Paul is telling Timothy here that circumstances do not amend or invalidate our duty to "go out into all the world".

I first came across this verse during a long dry spell in my spiritual life.  For weeks, I felt like I was in a desert.  I don't know if it was due to some disobedience on my part, or a time of struggle that He had planned for my growth.  I do know that I felt lonely, but not alone.  My time with His Word, and my time in prayer, were a struggle.  I knew He was with me, but He was silent to me.  I missed the joy of my pencil pouring forth His thoughts to me, but I did not despair.  I knew He had not changed.  I knew His love for me had not ebbed, not even a bit.

Whether by His design or our life's circumstances, we are occasionally "out of season".  We cease, temporarily, to produce fruit.  But growth is still taking place.  His Spirit has not gone, and the harvest will soon come.  But we must always, always be ready ~ wearing the armor of God, alert in prayer, always listening for His direction.

And I'm grateful to remember that even on a day when I haven't opened my Bible, I have His Word.  That's the beauty of "hiding it in my heart".  I only have to relax my mind and allow Him to bring me verses of peace or instruction.   So even on days when I don't feel ready, I'm ready.

~ "He awakens me morning by morning,

    He awakens my ear to hear as the learned" ~

Isaiah 50:4

~