Josiah trudged along the narrow path. He stopped, shifted his backpack, and forced himself to keep moving even though his body screamed in pain. He kept his mind focused on the solitude of his mountaintop destination. The agony of the climb would be worth it.

It had been a rough six months with hours of overtime and challenges around every corner. It was time to recharge—totally.

Reaching the top, Josiah slipped off his backpack. It thudded to the ground, echoing in the crisp mountain air. His shoulders relaxed and peace washed over him as if a bucket of water poured out its goodness, flowing from head-to-toe.

He gasped. Majestic mountains surrounded him like an army of warriors ready to protect their king. Josiah drew in a breath and exhaled slowly. Yes, this would be his spot to recharge and make the decisions he needed to.

He smiled and raised his hands in total surrender.

Do you ever feel like a zapped Energizer Bunny in need of recharging? Are there times when you want to run away from everything and everybody? I have. And guess what?

Jesus did too.

He went to the mountain to pray. Jesus just spent hours healing the sick and teaching in the synagogue. I’m sure his energy was zapped, so He headed to the mountain to recharge. He used the time to pray and reflect. What a great example He is to us. 

The past six to nine months have been stressful for both my sister and I, so we vowed to take time to get away and go to the cottage on Harrison Mountain. It’s a place that forces you to be still—no electricity or running water. Back to nature. No one around for miles. The serenity pulls you in like a fisherman reeling in his catch. You don’t want to let go. 

It gave us a chance to collect our thoughts and recharge. Do you have a place you can go to unwind?

Jesus went to a place of solitude at daybreak. At sunset, the people brought all who were sick to be healed. Jesus needed to find a place to be alone after all of the visitors. I’m sure He was exhausted, so He left at sunrise to be by himself.

Sometimes God uses the early hours to put things into perspective after a night of rest. One morning Sue and I witnessed a spectacular sunrise. It was a treat to see the sun peeking over the mountaintop. Different shades of pinks turned to oranges as it emerged bringing with it hope for a glorious day. There’s nothing more amazing than the break of dawn. It’s God in all His glory! 

In our solitary place, Sue and I spent hours chatting and re-evaluating. Why had we been so stressed? Were we taking on too much? I made a list of everything going on in my life and quickly realized it was time to make some decisions. This is tough when you love the activities you’re involved in, but we can’t do it all. Something has to go.

Being still made me understand how busy I’d become. You can only do that for so long before your body shuts down. 

It was time to stop. Jesus did. Why do we find it so hard to follow His example?

We need to run to Him.

And recharge.

Totally recharge.

What do you do to relax and re-energize? Got any secrets? Please share!

Luke 6:12 (NIV)

One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.

 

 

 

 

 

As Long As It Takes by Meredith Andrews

Are you tired and need of rest? Listen to the words of this song. He’s where we find a total recharge.