My Porch Is Back (05/13/2025)

As many of you may know, I spend a great deal of time on my screened porch. Every day, I begin my day there for wake up and morning prayer and end there for night time reflection and prayer. And throughout the day, I visit it frequently. During the cold months, it is bare of decorations with only the table and chairs. But in May, usually Mother’s Day Weekend, I bring out my shelf, my house plants, and my fountain. And I am surrounded by plants and the music of a running fountain fills the air. It is the perfect place to think, to ponder, to pray, to rest.

Sunday, I put out the shelf and plants. Monday, my husband Kenneth, filled and started the fountain for me in the corner. It is such a gift to have my favorite sanctuary back. I will spend more time there, writing, thinking, resting, wondering, praying, and just being. It is there that I get inspired, that the ideas for my blogs come, that ideas of things I should do for others come, that the LORD uses nature and His creation to stir my imagination and spark my sense of awe in His power and presence.

We are human being, not human doings. We all need a place to just “be.” And we all need to set time aside to just “be.” Do you have such a place? Do you take time to go there and sit in the presence of the LORD without tasks?

As we continue our journeys of faith, buoyed by hope, and fueled by love, let us take the time to spend without tasks to appreciate all that is because the LORD is with us. Let us take time to give thanks to the LORD for His power and presence at work in our world, in our community, in us, manifestations of His amazing love for us. Let us let the LORD refuel us and refresh us because we have lots to do as His disciples. But let us take a page from Jesus’ book and go away by ourselves to pray and just be.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.