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I have a couple of questions for you, fellow cave-dwellers. What I mean is… those of you who go into the ‘cave’ to study, ponder, fast, reflect, prepare, heal, and get right with God. Before I teach, while I’m preparing, while I teach, and sometimes for no reason at all other than I miss God, I pull away and go into the ‘cave’. Some of you will know exactly what I’m talking about.
With my fall schedule, I entered the cave a week or so ago. It is a place of serenity and calm, prayer and preparation. Just like a real cave, of which I understand we have lots in our area… in fact, as we drive down 565, I understand we’re traveling on top of some pretty massive caves. I digress… just like a real cave, it is very quiet. My husband loves it when I go in the cave because I’m quiet and at home a lot. My friends, one in particular, hate it because I put off returning calls and say no a lot to lunches and movies and out of town trips… ‘cause I’m exploring around in the cave.
What do I find there? Riches untold! There are God’s jewels to be found no where else and no way else. But it takes so much discipline! I buck it every time.
Here’s what I want to know…
- What are the disciplines you use when you go underground? I mean, do you turn off the phone and email… what else?
- How do you handle adjusting to times of solitude for a couple of days and then coming out into civilization?
- Do you find it to be lonesome in the cave? Any advice on handling that?
- And lastly, how do you keep from shouting from the rooftops when a particular jewel is discovered? I find it very easy to get sidetracked.
I know I’m not making sense to everyone. But for those of you who are writing and teaching and leading and listening, let me hear about your cave experiences.
3 comments:
not only have i been in a cave witht the Lord....but i go physcially go caving.
everything is stripped away from you...yes, phone, friends, husband, children...and you go. For it's in the stripping that Jesus makes it all worth it.
as far as what i've found...in the cave. you wait. you wait until God says..."scream it...to the rooftops". then and only then God will use His words thru you to do the un-natural. the impossible. after all...it's not your words you find in the cave....but His.
I understand exactly what you are talking about- caving. I haven't taken a long stay in my cave with My Lord for awhile. I start to enter every so often, but I allow others and life to draw me away. When I would go caving, I never wanted to come out - life is sometimes too hard and ugly. But, because of my stay in the cave, I felt empowered to leave the cave with a whole new outlook on life. And, I would emerge loaded with jewels to keep, to ponder and to share. I'm so glad God walks daily with me and that His love for me keeps the door to my cave open and available.
Hi Suzanne,
I am thankful the Lord has taught me how to "go caving", although it has been a while. I am thankful for the Lord's timing with stumbling upon your blog, seeing that I have a talk to prepare for a navigator collegiate conference next weekend that I am speaking at to about 150 women. I have yet to begin preparing so please pray for me. I know I need to enter the "cave" and so want to, but have not for fear of all that will remain "undone" and "neglected" while in the "cave" (probably including, unfortunately, my 2 and 4 yr. old little boys). Great suggestion to practice the spiritual discipline of fasting while preparing. Oh, how I long to discover those precious jewels only to be found in that solitude time with the Lord in His Word and in prayer. Thanks for the encouragement I found from this post.
Gratefully His,
Merrill Wood Wiggins
(a now 30 yr. old women who loves Jesus...probably only known by you as a little 5 yr. old girl that knew nothing of the amazing power of the cross!)
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