Come Away Place
Did you ever want to run away from home when you were a young child? Did you have a plan? Did you ever execute said plan?
I remember associating running away from home with the cute little kid that had a handkerchief wrapped around the end of a tree stick. I always wondered what one would carry in such a small get-away bag.
As a child, I couldn’t make sense of it. I knew I would need a suitcase, at least. Even a backpack wouldn’t be enough for all my childhood treasures. For me, the suitcases were too high up in the garage attic, out of my physical reach; therefore, so was running away. My childhood logic was a bit flawed.
Funny how the idea of running away chases you as an adult, too. And I can reach the suitcases now.
How often do you feel like running away? Escaping the circumstances at hand? Admittedly, the idea of loading a suitcase and disappearing to an isolated island often traipses through my thoughts. For you, it may be disappearing into a television binge, an Internet shopping spree, an old addiction. Either way, there are times we all want to drag our baggage into a place where we can temporarily say goodbye to the now.
I have learned something about myself over the years. When I am ready to wave the white flag of surrender, I need to pack a bag and go to the beach.
I am serious. The beach.
It is there, with the grainy sand, the cold marine layer, and the consistent waves where I am reminded, with a physical representation, just how amazing God is.
The beach is my “Come away with Me” place. When I need rest, when I need clarity, when I need to breathe, when I need to be reminded of His strength, His command, and His power...the beach is where I go. And when I am there, I take in the waves (from a distance) and see His goodness etched into the rhythm of nature. And I stand amazed that the Creator takes note of the girl who feels overwhelmed, overspent, and overburdened.
My “come away with me” place- Pismo Beach, CA
In the New Testament book of Mark, the disciples were overwhelmed and overspent after a season of ministry. With compassion and understanding, Jesus said, “Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:31). Jesus knew that rest and sustenance were vital. He invited them to solitude on a boat, floating on the waters of grace. He did not rebuke their fatigue; rather, He acknowledged their exhaustion and provided the anecdote for it. “Come with me.”
Running away, like the child with the bandana-stick bag, can be synonymous with a desire to escape or quit, a plan to forget or release responsibility, and a drive to ignore feelings, consequences, or facts. As a child, if you ran away, you were likely reprimanded for doing so because the behavior was dangerous and destructive. As an adult, running away from our problems or our exhaustion is also dangerous and destructive and while you may not be reprimanded, you will find that running away is not restorative.
In contrast, Coming-Away is an act of obedience, a step towards intimacy with the One who can restore, rejuvenate, and redeem. In the coming-away, we can lay down our burdens and find rest for our souls (Matthew 11:28-30). Coming away is where you can be fully restored.
What is your “Come away with Me” place? If you do not have one, now is a great time to establish one. This should not be a place that you already inhabit daily. This is not the same location where you spend time in study and prayer with God. This needs to be a different spot, somewhere you can go within a reasonable time frame but somewhere specifically that requires you to get up and “come away.” A physical location where you are reminded of His infinite power regardless of the intricate pressure you feel. A physical location that enables you to breathe and be. A place where the demands pause and peace persists.
It could be your friend’s backyard, a walking path in the park, a local creek or river, the front-porch swing, the empty church sanctuary, a secluded corner in a coffee shop, the front seat of your car, an outdoor table at a cafe, a museum, a rose garden.
The location itself has no magical qualities, but the act of finding a place and going there for rest with the Father will open the door to expectation. So, find a place where you are able to take in the gift of grace. Then put into habit the necessary routine to write rest into the agenda. While “come away” places are not occupied daily, you should repetitively show up at your place. After all, rest is not a one-and-done concept.
We have an unrelenting need for Jesus and if we run from instead of run to, we will find ourselves circling a track that is far from easy. This race that we do run is challenging, exhausting, and overwhelming. God knows that it is hard, He sees that we are pressed, He hears our guttural cries, and He has already prepped a plan: the “Come away with Me” design. We just have to show up.
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty...He will cover you with His feathers and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield… (Psalms 91:1 & 4).
Lord, our prayer today:
I admit that I am undone.
There has been too much lately
And all I want to do is run,
Escape that which plagues me.
I know you say “draw near”
And invite me to come away,
But this ship is hard to steer
And this storm leads me astray.
I don’t want the temporary
Or a counterfeit solution.
I need Your intimacy
In a place of peaceful seclusion.
Help me to come away fully,
To embrace Your rest and grace.
With your covering, I will see
Restoration at work in this place.
Amen.
Until next time my friend.
