Do You Need a Getaway?

I was getting desperate for some “quality” time with God. I knew what I needed: a quiet, secluded place, perhaps with a view of the mountains or ocean, a cup of delicious coffee…a walk on the beach…you know, “quality time.” My “QTs” at home just weren’t cutting it: someone or something always seemed to get in the way. If I was inside, the phone would ring, the dog needed to go out, or someone in the house was making noise, reminding me of my lack of privacy. If I sat outside, my thoughts were interrupted by the loud rumble of garbage trucks, the obnoxious buzzing of weed-whackers and endless array of noisy leaf blowers. I needed a getaway!

After grumbling about this to my co-workers, one of them suggested a lovely, inexpensive motel right on the beach, only an hour’s drive from where I live. The pictures on the Internet of the large private deck with comfy lounge chairs overlooking the ocean promised a place where time stood still. I was sold. I had a day off coming up and immediately began to dream about my getaway, “When I sit on that deck chair overlooking the ocean, then I’ll have my quiet, quality time with God.”

As the day drew near, so did the storm clouds (rare for Northern CA in June). The thought of being trapped in a tiny motel room while it poured down rain began to suffocate me. This is not what I signed up for! Turning back to the Internet to fantasize about my getaway, I read some more reviews. Only this time, they were far less appealing, “The motel and ocean were beautiful but we never got to relax as a drunken wedding party took over the motel.” Another review also commented how beautiful the setting was but “we couldn’t enjoy it due to all the construction noise.” And then it hit me—I’ll never have complete control over my circumstances. There are no guarantees and even if there were, closeness to God is not dependent on our environment. Hallelujah!

2 Corinthians 1:3 says that God is our source of all comfort. Not most, not some, but all. Paul then goes on to talk about how God was with him while he was in prison. And so I asked myself one question: If God can be so close to us in our most desperate situations, how could I think I needed to manufacture an “ideal” environment for me to sense God’s closeness? He has been here all along—it was I who, instead of seeking God’s closeness, sought my own comfort instead. I took my eyes off of “the source of all comfort.”

On the day I was suppose to go to the beach and enjoy my getaway, I found myself sitting in my backyard, listening to the garbage truck rumble by as nearby gardeners whacked away at overgrown bushes and shrubs… realizing how blessed I am to be living in such a beautiful place with clean streets and manicured lawns.  Lord, forgive me for seeking my own comfort when You Alone are the source of all comfort.

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8 NASB

Shadia Hrichi

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