I was arrested today. I didn’t expect it.It was very unusual how it happened too. I was making plans to go about my day, and I had BIG plans, too – in fact I thought: : “Wow, I have all this time… I should…” and began to create my list of things I could do, because I was “on vacation.”

As I stopped and contemplated  my options, I realized that I didnt have as much liberty as I thought.
I heard a still small voice within say:  Have you thought about the plan in its entirety?  What plan? I thought - isn’t the whole purpose of being on vacation to spend time and do “nothing“!  ( Why plan??)  Well - because there is always an opportunity wherever God is. 

To Arrest means to: accommodate, apprehend, capture, commit, confine,  and constrain. Interesting words. I think about this in the sense that not everyone feels comfortable accommodating everyone else… but isnt God ALWAYS accommodating us? He never thinks our inconveniences are His own. Whenever He desperately needs our attention, He just grabs our attention - or we have something thatusually brings us to an amazing HALT.  Has God ever used something to capture your attention? Hasn’t  your commitment  to His assignment proved to be  the hallmark of a dedicated soul? 

Has God used some very inconvenient times to  constrain you and yet bring you to amazing resolve through that experience and what you learned from it?  I remember once,  I missed a plane traveling south. I was visiting with family before I made it to the airport and the stay over was for an entire night.  No more planes were leaving til the next day. That night, my life was transformed, because  new light was shed on something I’d never realized before.  The deeply intense conversation I had that night, unraveled some of the mysteries I’d had about my family and it led me to pursue some things for them and myself  in prayer. Today, I stand in a much better place, as well as my family, because I missed that plane and had that conversation in my cousin’s home. I refer to that moment  in time - the day:  The Lord messed up my plans. “ Then this makes me consider whether being arrested by God – even during a ’seemingly inconvenient time’ – can be a blessing, indeed.

Its funny, because we often take such liberty when we go on vacation and forget about everything that should involve priotity. Where do we place God? It helps to consider a few things: 1) Who made it possible for you  to have the money to go on vacation?   2)  Who gave you the peace in being able to go? 3) Where do you gain the strength to have the “get up and go” to make it possible to enjoy your trip?  and lastly,  4) What if God wanted to make it even better for you?

I was grateful to be “vacating”, but what was God’s plan for my vacation?  Many times we get to our destination and  forget  to take time to REST.  We end up coming back home just as tired as we were before we left!  Why not take your vacation time to think about  God, yourself  and relaxation  this time? It’s so important to remember to  consider this - and God’s purpose in your going. There may be something He wants to work with you on, and maybe you might just be on assignment. Maybe there’s something He wants to show you about the people you are going to visit. Maybe He wants to corner you and have you get away - so He can speak to your heart  in a quiet place.

For example, I love flying on a plan and writing. Some of my best stuff has been written some 10,000 miles up in the air!  Nothing like having God arrest you when you are in your groove, doing your best thing -  and feeling good about where  you’re going! As I continue to self examine myself this week, I find myself  finding God in some unfamiliar places. I find Him having a willingness to connect with me all the more , because I consider Him. It’s a pleasure to have God “arrest you”, because it can be an extremely good thing.

 So I sat down today, after being arrested and spoke to God about what I desired to get out of this trip, and I  listened to what He would have me to do. Selah. ( Pause and calmly think of that.)

 Do you want to add a little more self-examination in the mix? Where are YOU headed?

 Consider this link.