Going Deep

"Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself."

(Matthew 14:13)

Jesus and John the Baptist were close. Not only were they cousins, they both were working to bring people closer to God - and helping bring God's Kingdom to earth. So it must have been gut wrenching for Jesus to find out that John had been killed. Quite gruesomely, actually. Herod had him beheaded at the request of his step-daughter (John had publicly challenged his marriage to Herod's brother's wife and thus was put in jail for it). It was at this point that jesus needed to get away by himself to a deserted place.

I wonder what he was feeling or needing? Time alone with his thoughts? Time to grieve in private? Time to pray and just be in God's presence without distractions? Whatever the reason, it was enough to pull him away from the everyday hustle and bustle to find time alone.

Which made me reexamine my "alone time" moments. The easy default is to watch TV and movies that I've DVR'd. I also enjoy listening to music and reading, when alone. But maybe one of my best "recharging" activities is photography. I love heading outdoors somewhere to see what I can capture! I love the creativity... the chance to be out in God's creation (I mostly shoot landscapes)... and the opportunity to capture images that inspire me.

But where/when do I do my "deep thinking"? When do I ponder deeply the questions and challenges that are weighing heavy on my heart? These times of Scripture Journaling are one of those. There needs to be more. Jesus found those moments - even with a crazy, busy schedule like his! May I take more pockets of time to "go deep."