Have you ever felt like there are not enough hours in the day? I have, and there are moments when it feels like I need more time to get caught up with the litany of tasks that multiply as fast as rabbits. Life is busy, and if we don’t schedule time for ourselves to rest and regroup, our stress goes up like a thermometer on a blistering hot summer’s day. Let me ask you another question, and it’s one that I also pose to myself.

If you had just one hour with Jesus, a face-to-face time-out—the two of you sitting in a pair of matching red Adirondack deck chairs overlooking a pristine mountain lake—what would you say to Him? And perhaps more importantly, what would He say to you and to me? With all the busyness in our lives, and I am speaking from personal experience, I know how difficult it is to stop and rest a moment and to include God in everything—all of it; the good and the bad.

As I envision myself sitting comfortably in one of two chairs and Jesus in the other, I would, for starters, be in a state of shock that my Saviour is taking the time to sit with me and take an interest in my complicated life. I’d likely spend the first 15 minutes drilling Him with questions about things that I don’t understand. Then, I’d probably use another 15 minutes and lay out a ton of prayer requests, followed by tears of praise and gratitude for saving a wretch like me. Lastly, as my deadline approaches, my final slot of time would be spent at Jesus’s feet, listening, worshipping, and basking in His eternal love and the astounding gift of salvation by grace through faith.

What about you, my friend? How would you spend your in-person hour with Jesus?

Did you know that you can take a time-out with Jesus 24/7, 365 days per year? In fact, Jesus Christ is ready, willing, and able to sit down with you any time you need a break. If you’re stressed, overworked, lonely, frustrated, broke, sick, young, old, happy, or sad, to name a few of the emotions that we carry, God is only a prayer away. You don’t need a lake with red chairs (although that would be lovely), or a church, or a legion of angels around you for support—Jesus wants a time-out with you, and He’s waiting with open arms, listening ears, and profound love, right here and right now.

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” (Psalms 91:1 NLT)

“Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.” (Jeremiah 33:3 NLT)

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it the most.” (Hebrews 4:16 NLT)

In my busy life, and I’m sure you can attest, I need more one-on-one time-outs with Jesus, especially when He reaches out, grabs my hand and yours, and says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 NLT)

Paul Smyth