My Front Porch & Time with Jesus

Emily Wickham began her writing and speaking journey in 2005. She writes for Lifeway Christian Resources and enjoys serving the Lord as an author, speaker, and podcaster. She teaches via Indestructible Life, a podcast that helps women discover the life Jesus is and treasure the life God's Word gives. Emily also shares brief messages about the return of Christ on her YouTube channel. Please connect with Emily by subscribing below to her blog, Heart Stirrings.

MY FRONT PORCH & TIME WITH JESUS

“Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow” (James 1:17, NASB).

Dear Readers,

God sometimes brings unexpected blessings into our lives, and my front porch definitely qualifies as such. When we remodeled our home last year, the contractor offered to create a larger porch plus cover it with a roof. Wow, I never knew how much I was missing before this addition! I absolutely love meeting with God on my new front porch.

Opening the door these days usually involves a waft of warm, humid air that doesn’t feel great. Yet I know what’s ahead, so I persist and settle into a folding chair. Before long I’ve adjusted to the temperature. Gazing at the trees and up into the sky, I greet the Lord with a simple “Good Morning, God.” My words aren’t deep or profound, but the delight in my heart is real. Somehow the Lord feels closer in the midst of His creation.

Yet now I’ve acquired a problem: I love spending time with Jesus on my front porch so much that I stay rooted to my chair for a super long time! An hour or more can escape me—especially now that I’ve begun the habit of reading one chapter in two versions of the Bible (NASB and KJV). Questions often surface, too, which typically lead me to other parts of Scripture. And then there’s prayer. All this occurs in an ordinary yet beloved place.

Perhaps you face a different challenge, however. Maybe your time is tight, and you struggle to meet with Jesus at all. I can relate. When I taught school last year, I didn’t possess the luxury of Bible reading for indefinite amounts of time. It was an accomplishment to read one chapter in one translation while seated in my living room. And prayer time? It often transpired during my 20-25 minute drive to work. If you’re pressed for time, please take heart. Because wherever and whenever you can open your Bible, read a portion, and communicate with the living God in prayer, you achieve a victory. Time with Jesus—limited or unlimited—fills us up, enabling us to live as He desires.

Seasons change, and I expect another location for my time with Jesus might arise in the future. Years ago an ugly upstairs closet served as my go-to place. Though it didn’t hold any appeal from a decor standpoint, it provided a quiet, uninterrupted space where I could read my Bible and pray. God accomplished a lot of good inside those four walls. But today, I’m eager to head onto my front porch each morning. And the Lord never disappoints, for He promises:

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8).

What is your experience? I’d love to know your favorite place to spend time with Jesus. As you can see from my journey, the space doesn’t have to meet design standards. But it does need to enable you to open your heart to God, soak in His Word, and talk to Him in prayer. Time with Jesus might feel elusive in today’s world, but He’s exactly who we need for strength and purpose in today’s world.

Where do you meet with Him?

In Christ’s Love,

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2 thoughts on “My Front Porch & Time with Jesus

  1. So glad to see that you are able to get more “God time” (as I call it) in Ms. Emily. I would love to tell you that I get 90-120 minutes in every morning, and I never miss, but that just isn’t reality. While I try and get at least that amount of time in each day with our Lord in that one special place (for me, it’s usually my east-facing den before the sun rises), there are days when I have to accumulate that important time with Him while running errands, doing chores, or resting beneath the pines on a hot afternoon. Time with God is both addictive and imperative, and I find that when life gets distracting and I start to minimize it, I have withdrawal symptoms. 🙂 God’s blessings young lady.

    1. Hello, J.D.,

      Thank you for sharing about the special place you meet with the Lord. It sounds like a terrific spot. And I totally understand the reality of fluctuations in our times with Jesus. Life can be crazy busy, and circumstances change. Thankfully the Lord always welcomes us into His presence for however long we can focus. And He doesn’t hold us to a certain amount of time, for He’s after our hearts. Thank you for being an example of one who spends time with God regularly – it shows!

      In Christ’s Love,
      Emily

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