Taking the time to do what you want to do

CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON

“The extravagance of God

More sky than man can see,

More seas than he can sail,

More sun than he can bear to watch,

More stars than he can scale.”

-- RALPH W. SEAGER

God is extravagant in his love for us and in his creation all

around us. Sometimes, I seem to take it for granted, other times, I

am in awe of it all.

A few weeks ago, I was with a group of women studying a book about

spiritual disciplines. Three of the disciplines are: “The Practice of

Celebration,” “The Practice of ‘Slowing’” and “The Practice of

Servanthood.” It is a great study and a great group of women and I’ll

write more about the study in the future.

As a fun way to get to know the women in the group, we went around

in a circle and briefly answered a question that was in contrast to

spiritual disciplines. We were to say what we would choose to do in a

day if we didn’t have to be disciplined at all.

The answers ranged from things that cost no money at all and

involved little or no travel to things that were the opposite. Many

women preferred to stay home, and others chose to travel. Some wanted

to play at parks with their children or their grandchildren.

Some women wished to garden or putter in their yards. Many women

wanted chocolate in some form, and another wanted to eat popcorn with

her daughters. Quite a few wanted to travel with their husbands and

friends to places near and far. Other women selected outdoor

activities such as hiking, swimming, playing tennis or beach

volleyball. A number of them preferred the indoors, either a day at

the spa or room service for every meal at a beautiful hotel.

Several answers reflected the stage of the woman’s life. For

instance, those with young children at home said that they’d like a

day at home with no one else there. Others wanted the freedom to just

do nothing or to stay in bed or in their pajamas all day. It was a

gray morning, and several answered that they would like to sleep and

read in the sun. By the time it was my turn to answer, my list had

grown, but I mentioned swimming, reading and relaxing.

We were challenged to have one day in the near future when we

treated ourselves to something fun, when we did not have to be

disciplined. We were also challenged to have times of quiet to listen

to God.

Soon after that, I had the opportunity to play, pray and hike with

friends in Catalina. I almost passed up this amazing opportunity

because of time constraints. Fortunately, my husband, Jon, and others

encouraged me to go, so I played hooky from routine for nearly 48

hours. I ate well, laughed long and slept late.

I loved being with friends and the beauty of where we were. I

stared at the stars, swam in the ocean and shared with friends.

Clearly, it was a special treat.

The morning I wrote this, I went for a long walk that only cost me

time. I stared at the churning ocean and marveled at the changing

sky. More than that, I was amazed at the extravagance of God.

And you can quote me on that.

* CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON is a Newport Beach resident who speaks

frequently to parenting groups. She may be reached via e-mail at

[email protected] or through the mail at 537 Newport Center Drive,

Suite 505, Newport Beach, CA 92660.