My Wee Oasis….

I had a bath last night!
I know, it’s not the most amazing revelation I am sure you have heard this week, but for me, it was a wee oasis in the midst of my busy full life!

As I sat there after dinner, I was thinking “Man, I really feel like a bath” but had so many other things I really should have been doing. As Gracie was walking out the door to meet a friend, she said to me “Mum, if you want a bath tonight (random thought from her, as I haven’t had a bath for probably a year!) I have a Lush bath bomb you can use.” That my friends was the sign, I knew this was a good idea! A wee oasis was just what I needed…..

But it didn’t start out as an oasis….I made the bath too hot and so I was having to wipe away the sweat as it poured down my face. The candle I lit kept fizzling out and so I was left to sweat in the dark with the window open to try and cool myself down, hoping no one would walk past (highly unlikely, but you just never know right?) This is not what I had imagined and so, I got out, fixed the candle, closed the window and got myself a large glass of water and started again!

This time, this time it was just what I needed! As I lay there in the warmth I let myself fully relax and not think of all the things I should have been doing. As I let the water wash away the aches of my body, God washed away the aches of my heart. As I lay there with no interruptions and no to-do lists, I was still for long enough that I could hear God’s gentle whisper as he spoke straight to my soul. He spoke of love and of dreams, and of the exciting things he has in store for me, and just for a moment I allowed myself to be taken away and dream of what things could look like if I allowed myself to fully trust him!

Who would have thought a simple thing like a bath on a Tuesday night could be so good for the soul?
As I eventually got out of the bath, I felt renewed from the inside out. I felt like I had been in a spa in the far east instead of in my bath tub in little ole TA. I felt like I was ready to hit life head on again, and this time, with God leading me, instead of me being so busy in my mind, that I can’t hear his voice calling me back to him.

I have been intentionally slowing myself down lately. Less noise, less social media, and less busy fullness in my life. I am seeking more of him and less of me. I am longing for less of the world’s influence in my life and more, way more of his.

So as Phil and I head off to a conference today and as I look at my calendar and see that I away for more nights in the next month than I am at home, I am ok with that! I am determined to keep this slower pace in my mind. To fully trust God in his plan and to know that there are good things in store for me. But more than that, there are good things happening in the here and now, if I would just slow down enough to hear his voice and to enjoy this journey that he has me on!