One Hour...

So...if you had one hour to do whatever you wanted what would you do? Sleep? Spend it with family? Watch tv? Wash your hampster's hair? Last night I put in my hour for the church's 1000 Hours of Prayer. I debated about not blogging about this only in that I'm not trying to say hey I did this - that's not the point. It was what happened during that hour that was so cool.

For some of you the thought of "praying" for an hour could scare you to death - it could send you to hide in your closet, not pray there - it could thrill you. I don't know. I was looking forward to my hour, and being part of 1000 Hours of Prayer by our church family asking Him to reveal Himself to us, personally and collectively. I know...you're saying get to this "cool" part of praying. Are you ready?

Two things: 1) Time flew by. Seriously - it was like being on a roller coaster you'd waited in line for for hours, and it was over in just a few moments. I found myself begging that the hour would go slowly, because it was passing so quickly. Before I knew it, the hour was gone. I know time flies when you are having fun, but honestly I thought that getting through this hour might be a little tricky. What made it different? Is it because I'm usually so preoccupied with the clock? I don't know. Here's the next one: 2) It made me long for more. Now, this was surprising to me. I thought I'd finish the hour and sit back and say, ahhhhh that was good, and move forward with my world - fairly unaffected, but grateful I was a part of such a collective experience. But it ended as though I was so thirsty I couldn't quench my thirst. Honestly, at one point I thought I just needed to stop because I knew it was not going to end with me being refreshed. Don't get me wrong - it was refreshing, it was filling, it was exhilirating. But honestly, an hour wasn't enough. I wanted more time to read, more time to reflect, more time to sit in the lap of my Daddy in heaven and just talk to Him.

Why is this so different from my time I normally spend with the Father? Many times, most times, I don't go into or end those times with the same excitement, focus, desire. Hmmmmmmm??? It made me wake up this morning, and I couldn't wait to read my Bible. (Now that may sound surprising, what, you aren't normally excited to read your Bible? Usually morning is not my strongest time of being able to focus on my reading & praying - getting kids ready their day, thinking through my days to-do list, getting up in the first place is hard for me just because it happens so early - it's morning, right? And honestly - are you always excited to read your Bible & pray?) Anyway - I couldn't wait - I couldn't move forward in my day without it. And I wanted to open and read more and more today. Some of it in my "hard copy" of the Bible - some of it @ bible.com - some of it in verses I was looking at for the message I'm prepping for this weekend. Even now I'm thinking, hmmmmm let's read some more. But I don't think it is just words on the page I long for, as it is spending time with God. Again - not that I haven't been doing that - but man, that hour lit something in me that hasn't been lit in a while. And to think, I almost didn't sign up. Man, I really would have missed out.