Eggshells of Learning

Hey Friends!
I laughed this afternoon as I was getting ready to eat my lunch. I have been trying to eat a bit more balanced and my mom has been helping me with this goal. Since I pack a lunch while I am working, I need things that travel well. One of my favorite lunch specialties is a boiled egg (with other yummy goodies too). Well, my mom boiled some eggs and told me I could take one with me for lunch if I wanted. So I laughed as I was trying to peel this boiled egg. For whatever reason, the eggshell wanted to cling to the egg white and it was just turning out to be one big mess. My co-workers were laughing with me, as I had eggshell all over the place.
I share my silly experience because it reminded me of something that I read recently that I wanted to share. I was reading in The Power of a Praying Woman, by Stormie Omartian. She was sharing about a time in her spiritual walk where she felt like she was an eggshell. If you will indulge me, I would like to share part of that story with you now.

“A few years ago, I had become so busy with working, taking care of teenagers, trying to be a good wife, running a home, writing books and traveling to promote them, being at all church meetings, helping people who needed it, and trying to make everyone happy, that I neglected the most important thing- my intimate walk with God. It’s not that I stopped praying. Actually, I was praying more than ever about everyone else on the planet. But I didn’t pray about my own walk with Him. It’s not that I didn’t read His Word. I read for hours as I did research in the Scriptures for different projects I was working on and the Bible study classes I was taking. But I didn’t give God time to speak to me personally through it. I was busy doing good and neglected to do what was best. I became Martha instead of Mary without even realizing it (Luke 10:38-42).
I didn’t take enough time for God and me alone, and as a result I became so depleted I couldn’t go on. I felt like that eggshell, as if I could be crushed with very little outside pressure. I knew I needed more of God in my life, and nothing on earth was more important than that. There wasn’t anything else that could satisfy the hunger I felt inside except more of His presence. And I came to realize how important it was for me to guard and protect my personal relationship with God in prayer.” (Omartian, pg. 10)

I have been and probably will be in this place again, where I feel empty without the pouring in from God. That is what I hope my life is all about: Him pouring into me and then allowing me to be poured out for others. But in this moment He is teaching me to simply sit before Him and allow Him to pour into me. That is the most important thing you and I can do. Just be still and listen to God. He wants to communicate with us!
Until next time...listen for His voice!