If you had told me 10 years ago that I would be a NASCAR fan, I wouldn’t have believed it. The idea then of watching a bunch of cars run around an oval track over and over seemed anything but fun. Yet here I am, spending almost 3 hours following the latest race on TV. And my husband and I have had a great time travelling to a couple of races together.
There have been other things over the years that I’ve learned to like. White fish never appealed to me at all until mysomeone prepared a delicious halibut dinner for me. And I never thought mint would make a good wall color – then I saw it brightening the bedroom up.
So what brings on a new attitude about things I’ve dismissed before? I think it happens when I can associate a good experience and outcome with them. That gives them new value to me.
I’ve gone through a similar process with my quiet time disciplines. As a young Christian, I struggled with reading my Bible and praying. I’d learned that God called me to do both each day, but they felt rote and dull. I kept on instead of quitting, though, if only out of a desire to obey God.
Finally, a wonderful thing happened – the words I was reading started to make a positive difference. Applying the lessons to my own life brought changes for the better. And I began to treasure the moments I had connecting with God through prayer. Whatever else I change my mind about, these will stay.
Psalm 30:11 says “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me joy.” God gave me the strength to hang on until I saw the value for me of having quiet time. And now I’m can’t imagine life without it!
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