I Need a Mountain...

                                                                  "to be alone"
                       "by himself to pray"
     "there alone"
                                                                "up a high mountain to be alone"
                                     "isolated place to pray"
                                                                                                  "by ourselves to a quiet place"
 "by himself to pray"
                                                "so they could be alone"
                                                                                           "up a high mountain to be alone"
                  "withdrew to the wilderness for prayer"
 "went up on a mountain to pray"
                                                            "up on a mountain to pray"

It's no wonder moms seem frazzled or scatter-brained. No wonder we spout off the wrong child's names or forget where we put that very important paper that we just knew we would remember. We desperately need ALONE time.

Every woman will try and find a way to acquire this coveted "alone time" - either by curling up with a good book, settling into a hot bubble bath, sitting on the porch with a cup of their favorite coffee blend, becoming engulfed in the latest TV "doctor-drama" (pic below), or maybe even locking the bedroom door and hiding from your children.

McDreamy (in case you didn't know)

But, the kind of alone time I'm talking about is not the short-lived moments of quietness that leave you feeling the same as it did in the beginning - emotionally drained or weary or depressed or whatever you may have been feeling. The type of alone time I'm talking about is the kind Jesus also needed and the kind he made a priority to have.

The phrases above were taken from the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke (haven't made it through John yet). Look at what Jesus faced daily - "heal me," "fix me," "forgive me," "cast out this demon," "bring my child back to life," "make me clean," "me, me, me." Not to mention all of the religious people who were constantly trying to trap him and find a way to discredit him. He was always traveling, always meeting with people, and always serving. If anyone needed alone time it was Jesus. But he didn't need it for himSELF. He needed it to draw closer to his Father. WE need it to draw closer to our Father - it's the only way to make it through each day, each week, each month, each year...each minute!

So, my challenge to you (and me) is to find a quiet, secluded place where we can be alone. We may not have mountains in Charleston but we can certainly find a place where we can meet with our Father. We desperately need it...