SOAKING IN GOD'S PRESENCE

A few years ago, while at the library I saw a sign with a picture of a yogi. It was and ad for transcendental meditation classes being held there. Being a Christian, it occurred to me that the library should allow equal time to have Biblical meditation. I may have had a brief conversation with God about it. I'm pretty sure the moment was marked in Heaven.

With that moment totally out of mind, I discovered a new word for Biblical meditation while at Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship on my first visit there in 2004. They call it soaking.

Soaking is a simple word that encompasses the practice of stopping the busy mind, being still, focusing heart and mind on God . Waiting for Him to talk to me, asking Him to say whatever He wants, I have found that He has much to say.

In daily life, my habit of waking up, getting coffee, multi-tasking my way through the morning, working, talking care of the mundane duties that keep the household in order, my time with God is like a conversation while jogging.

Corporate appointments to do nothing but BE WITH HIM are rare in our churches and our daily lives. There is just so much to do.

Soaking meetings are the best time of all for me. This is a block of time where no wandering thought, no task, no duty, no agenda, no sermon will interrupt Holy Spirit when He begins speaking to my soul. During those times, He has plucked up weeds from the garden of my heart, healed childhood rejections, taken me on flying visits to other nations, imparted vision and gifts and convinced me that I am truly His daughter.

Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship has a ministry training program to teach how to facilitate soaking meetings. I went to this soaking school and became infused with a heart to host times for Jesus where He could spend this quality time with His bride.

Many people have their meetings at homes or churches. There's even a meeting at the Fusion Christian bookstore.

Back to the library -
I started looking for a place where anyone could come. Churches and homes can be so territorial. I knew the library had meeting rooms and made arrangements for our first meeting. That's when I remembered the moment years earlier, looking at the transcendental meditation sign. God seems to have remembered too.

If you're in Jacksonville, Fl, come join us. You can check out ctfministries.com or soaking.net
for some other soaking resources and places.