Buddhist<\/a> retreat center. \u201cOh, by all means!\u201d they\u2019d say. \u201cI read in the New York Times about this wonderful retreat center in the Poconos run by the Benedictine Order of monks. Did you know they serve only locally raised organic food? It sounds just divine!\u201d And in truth, some day I may check in to a monastery, too. A friend of mine seeks out these monasteries on a regular basis, three, four times a year, where he parks and unloads his spiritual baggage for a few days. There in silence, he meditates and consults with God on business, family, and his personal growth. Typically he writes long and passionate letters to God while he is there. What\u2019s interesting is that before the retreat is over, God usually writes him back.<\/p>\nI\u2019ve checked out some of those retreat centers, and I am a bit dismayed to report that they are generally quite spartan. I prefer to treat God to a bit more upscale furnishings, so we tend to gravitate more towards the Great Lodges in the Adirondacks. I rent a small room for two or three nights where I can sit in a comfortable, over-stuffed chair, smell the wood smoke of the crackling fire all evening, and wake up to the sound of loons on the lake. It\u2019s here, in the quiet midst of these ancient and beautiful mountains spread deep with a blanket of balsam fir, where they loom mightily over placid hollows of silver-blue lakes, here is where I think, pray, read and commune with the Almighty.<\/p>\n
I have taken a Godcation every year for the past four years. This past September was not unlike the others, except that God gave me a bit of a scare. I think He was playing with me, and wanted to teach me a lesson. Well, that He did.<\/p>\n
\u00a0*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n
When the appointed time came for this year\u2019s Godcation, I grabbed my journal, a good pen, my hiking boots, a backpack and a dorky-looking poncho. I loaded them into the car, and drove off into the sunrise to meet up with God in the great Adirondack Mountains.<\/p>\n
The Adirondacks are a pristine swath of\u00a0six million acres of preserved land in upstate New York. There are 42 high peaks interspersed with a multitude of lakes, and expansive stretches of rural wilderness that go on for miles. It is an ideal place to get away, to be alone with God. Sure, a few people get lost out there every year. It is a big place after all. But those unfortunate souls usually get into trouble because of plain old-fashioned stupidity. Each month,\u00a0Aridondac\u00a0<\/em>magazine\u00a0devotes a few pages to an intriguing section called \u201cThe Accident Report,\u201d where the park rangers report on these \u201cincidents.\u201d It\u2019s the best part of the magazine:<\/p>\n\u201cThere were two incidents in late April that were caused by deep snow remaining long after hikers thought Spring had arrived.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>Apparently a couple of guys and a girl were hiking the monster Whiteface Mountain dressed only in shorts and sneakers. They continued for several hours hiking the mountain, in spite of running into snow, eventually up to four feet deep.\u00a0\u201cHere they decided to call 911 for help.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Duh. Stupid kids. Why do all the young people insist on wearing shorts these days, even in the winter?<\/p>\nAnd here\u2019s another good one. \u201cOther incidents included a heart attack death of a fifty-three-year old male at Slant Rock.<\/em>\u201d Poor sucker. I wonder how long it was before they found him. If he was alone it could have been days before they realized he was a goner, and then a few more before they found him. Shoulda kept up with the workouts, buddy! Yeah, and maybe you could have laid off the cheesecake, too. Fat guy thinks he can hike the Adirondacks. What was he thinking?<\/p>\nI consulted the Lord with my trusty hiking guide, and we carefully selected the first day\u2019s hike: Hoffman\u2019s Notch. This trail was particularly appealing because it was not far from the lodge we were staying at, and although it was a seven mile trail, the vertical rise was only three hundred feet. In other words, it was an easy hike.\u00a0\u201cHandsome streams, waterfalls and upland marshes edge the trail in its entire length,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0the guidebook said. Sounds beautiful. I figured I could hit the trail mid-morning, hike for a few hours, then turn around and get back to the lodge in time for dinner. God agreed heartily with my excellent plan.<\/p>\nBy the time I reached the trailhead, the sky was turning a stubborn grey overcast. But I wasn\u2019t going to let a few clouds bother me. Besides, I had that poncho in my backpack in case it rained. I parked the car, got out and found the signs marking the start of the trail. I took in a deep breath, relishing the scent of balsam evergreens, the smells and sounds of the forest, and the sheer joy of having uninterrupted time alone with God.<\/p>\n
I had prepared a meditative hike for today, drawing from the words of the Psalms to reflect on God\u2019s goodness. That would be a good way to start off the Godcation, to get us on a good spiritual footing. There was much to be grateful for, and I hadn\u2019t nearly thanked God as much as I should.<\/p>\n
The first few hundred yards of the hike were like a stroll down an off-country lane. The trail offered wide, roomy paths, and every so often a sturdy bridge\u00a0crossed over one of those handsome\u00a0streams that was mentioned in the guidebook. I began reciting words of praise and gratefulness in time with my steps, taking in the beauty of the forest along the way. Soon the path became more narrow and uneven, meandering through a forest that was becoming increasingly dense. Even though it had only been a few minutes, I felt a million miles from civilization. Not a sole to be seen. All alone in the big woods. Unfortunately, it was here that another thought crossed my mind, a non-grateful thought, interrupting my words of praise. \u201cGosh, I really am quite alone out here. What if\u2026<\/em>.\u201d I tried to discipline my thoughts. Oh, come now, Bradley, you\u2019re a big boy. You\u2019ve hiked in these mountains since you were a teenager. \u201cYeah, but what if I have a heart attack like the guy in the Incident Report? He wasn\u2019t much older than me. Yes, I could have a heart attack. No one would find me for days!<\/em>\u201d I checked my pulse. Was that a shooting pain down my arm? A low grade anxiety crept up and hung by my side, dogging my steps as I delved deeper and deeper into the dark recess of the black forest.\u00a0What if what if what if what if??<\/em>\u00a0I couldn\u2019t stop thinking about the fifty-three-year-old-male in the Accident Report. That could happen to anybody. I mean, at least any male who is closing in on the age of fifty.<\/p>\nDying of a heart attack in the wilderness would definitely ruin my Godcation.<\/p>\n
*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n
The trails in the Adirondacks are marked with colorful tin circles, about four inches in diameter, that are nailed to the trees every several dozen yards or so. The paths you are supposed to follow on any particular trail are usually clear-cut, but they can become iffy at times, especially when crossing some thick patches of forest. But if you look up every now and then, sure enough, the friendly yellow circles will greet you at a forthcoming tree, saying, \u201cHello again, friend! Yes, you are on the right track! Continue this way towards more delights of the Adirondack forest!<\/em>\u201d I became very attached to these yellow markers on this hike, as they were a point of security, confirming that I was not veering off into a fortnight of survival skills in\u00a0six million acres of the wild.<\/p>\nAs my hike continued, it started raining and then gradually progressed from a sprinkle to a more committed precipitation. No problem, I told myself. A rainy day in the Adirondacks with God is better than a thousand elsewhere. I tried to focus once again on the glories of God\u2019s natural woodlands, in an effort to distract myself from thinking about The Man Who Died From a Heart Attack While He was Hiking. There was a beautiful stream to my left, cut deep into a rocky gorge; with a series of cascading waterfalls marking it\u2019s descent from one ledge to the next. I stopped to soak it in. Though, literally, now I\u00a0was<\/em>\u00a0soaking, because the rain had advanced to a heavy downpour that demanded my full attention. I pulled out the bright orange poncho from my backpack and put it on, pulling the plastic hood over my head. I was now dry, but it felt like I was also participating in some kind of\u00a0 NASA echo chamber experiment \u2013 I heard a plastic reverb with every step, every breath, every pounding drip of rain. \u201cHouston, we have a problem! I look like an idiot!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nI continue undeterred, persisting through the deluge. This is my time with God.<\/p>\n
I started reciting to God a stream of phrases the Psalmist might use. \u201cThank you, Oh Lord, Praise you for your loving kindness and all your mercies. Bless your holy name, Oh my soul.\u201d This was working. I concentrated more on my meditation. \u201cThank you for all your blessings, God you are magnificent, thank\u2026you\u2026umm\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere did the trail go?\u201d<\/p>\n
I whipped my head in all directions, looking for a path. Nothing. Just a mirror of repeating generic forests on all sides. No trail. My heart started pounding. The adrenaline was pumping as my body geared up for a major fright event, even though I hadn\u2019t really given myself enough time to confirm that I was lost.<\/p>\n
\u201cRemain calm!<\/em>\u201d I admonished myself. \u201cGod is with me<\/em>.\u201d But seriously, dude, where is the trail?<\/p>\n\u201cStay calm. I will not die out here. I will not die alone<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\nOf course not.\u00a0<\/em>I will die together with God. He\u2019ll be watching as I slowly wander in confused circles to a slow, protracted death on my Godcation. That must be His plan for me. Just accept it. \u201cNo, don\u2019t be ridiculous. I can\u2019t be that far off the trail<\/em>.\u201d I turned around and took a few steps from where I had been hiking, and searched frantically. No yellow markers. I walked a few steps to the left and scanned the forest. No yellow circles. I\u2019m getting dizzy. It\u2019s pouring. The visibility has become horrible. I noticed that my boots and socks are soaked right through, making squishy sounds with every step, like they are filled with jello.\u00a0Lord, please help me<\/em>. I\u2019m verging on a flat-out panic attack.<\/p>\nI should not have made fun of those people in the Incident Reports. Surely, this is my well-deserved punishment.<\/p>\n
After a few more minutes of wandering, I stopped altogether, leaned against a tree, and prayed.\u00a0Lord, I am losing it. This is crazy. Help me to find the trail.<\/em>\u00a0I listened to the torrential pattering of the rain against the hood of my poncho, like the incessant clicking of a dozen typewriters. My team of writers\u00a0sealing my fate\u00a0with a\u00a0tragic ending.<\/p>\nI regrouped. On a hunch, I took a few steps to the North, in the one direction I hadn\u2019t covered yet. Sure enough, there in the distance, I made out a little yellow marker on a tree. \u201cHello, friend!<\/em>\u201d it said, in a squeaky, rattled little voice. I breathed a huge sigh of relief, then ran up and hugged the tree.<\/p>\n*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n
I try to come off like I\u2019m this confident, sophisticated and worldly professional. But when you drop me out in the middle of the wilderness on a rainy day with nothing but a backpack and a poncho, you can bet that within an hour or two the real truth comes out: I\u2019m a basket case of fear, insecurity and doubt. Which is to say, I\u2019m\u00a0so<\/em>\u00a0full of crap. I had a sheepish feeling that perhaps this was God\u2019s lesson for me today, as if He was sitting back in his chair with\u00a0folded arms saying, \u201cAll right, Mister Smarty Pants, now that we\u2019ve gotten\u00a0that<\/em>\u00a0great truth out of the way, maybe we can try to get some\u00a0real<\/em>work done around here.\u201d<\/p>\nIt was time to turn around and head back to the car. I had enough of the rain and heart attacks and getting lost in the woods. The thought of a hearty dinner and fireplace waiting for me at the lodge\u00a0became a much more appealing location to practice meditation. I trudged back along the trail,\u00a0but instead of praying, this time I paid very close attention to those yellow trail markers. It was pouring, but there was a light kick in my step from the tremendous relief of finding the trail. I was lost, but now am found.<\/p>\n
I thought about those yellow circles, how they reminded me of the\u00a0consistency\u00a0of\u00a0God\u2019s\u00a0grace throughout the course of my life. All I know is, if we keep looking up, He\u2019ll give us signs along the way. Maybe it comes as a word from a friend, or through a passage we read, or a coincidental circumstance. Somehow, if we\u2019re paying attention, He gives us these little hints from time to time to let us know He\u2019s got his eye on us, that we\u2019re heading in the right direction. That things are going to be okay.<\/p>\n
I was about an hour away from the trailhead, moving at a pretty good clip\u00a0 despite the soggy boots. Then the strangest thing happened. As I was booking along the trail at breakneck speed,\u00a0suddenly, for absolutely no reason, I stopped dead in my tracks. I can\u2019t say why. It wasn\u2019t at all a conscious decision. I just stopped. I felt God prompting me.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook.\u201d He said.<\/p>\n
I turned to look off the side of the trail, and there, leaning gently against a tree, was a stick. A walking stick.<\/p>\n
It was the perfect walking stick, just the right height. It was a strong piece of wood, with a slight curve to\u00a0give it some good leverage. There was a shapely little crook for the hand at the upper end, and a smooth spot right at the top for my thumb.\u00a0It looked like it had just dropped right out of the sky, a branch fallen off of it\u2019s mother tree, landing\u00a0in that exact spot. As I approached it, I felt as if this was the one walking stick in the world for me.<\/p>\n
God\u2019s\u00a0presence suddenly overwhelmed the forest. It\u2019s hard to explain. I don\u2019t have words for it, but it somehow felt like, at that moment, God had decided to physically join me on the hike. Maybe it\u2019s what Moses felt when he first saw that burning bush. I looked behind me, all around, but no one was there. It was as\u00a0if God was playing a trick, like He planned a secret party for me at that tree. \u201cSurprise!\u201d He shouts, jumping out from behind\u00a0the invisible curtain of\u00a0infinite omnipresence. It scared me a little bit.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs this walking staff for me, God?\u201d Of course at a time like this, calling it a staff rather than a stick sounds more appropriate, more biblical. The sound of a million raindrops pelting the bed of the vast forest floor gave a resounding Yes. Then, applause.<\/p>\n
I reached out for the walking stick. \u201cThank you.\u201d I whispered. Upon taking in the absolute beauty and strangeness of the gift, and this moment, I could only respond with a deep-felt sense of awe. I was overcome with reverence and humility. I worshipped Him. Surely, He was with me now.<\/p>\n
It seems as if we are all bopping along in our lives, following our given paths, trying to pay attention so that we don\u2019t get lost. And then, when you least expect it, God\u2019s presence can sneak up right behind you while you\u2019re not looking, and give you a friendly poke in the ribs. \u201cDon\u2019t scare me like that!\u201d you say, startled. Laughing. Then you turn around and see who it is, and you fall to your knees.<\/p>\n
The rest of my vacation with God was, comparatively speaking, uneventful. I read\u00a0a couple of\u00a0inspiring books,\u00a0wrote to God in my journal, and spent a great deal of time in prayer. It was peaceful and restful.\u00a0I used that walking stick\u00a0on two more hikes. I kind of hoped people would pass by, notice the divine powers emanating from my special stick, and maybe ask me about it. No one did. I took the stick home with me, and now it lies on the hearth above my fireplace in the family room. Sometimes when I\u2019m praying, I\u2019ll pick it up and walk around the house with it as I pray. It reminds me that God\u2019s presence is with me,\u00a0even\u00a0when I don\u2019t\u00a0know it.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I took a vacation with God. It wasn\u2019t anything elaborate or expensive. I simply felt like we needed time alone together \u2013 just me and God without the many distractions of work, emails, cell phone calls, and the beloved family. Let\u2019s call it a Godcation. And why not? First there was the Mancation, which gained […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1878,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[26,529,704],"class_list":["post-6392","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-spirituality","tag-adirondack-mountains","tag-personal-retreat","tag-time-alone-with-god"],"yoast_head":"\n
Sometimes God Sneaks Up on You<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I took a vacation with God. It wasn\u2019t anything elaborate or expensive. I simply felt like we needed time alone together \u2013 just me and God without the many\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/2015\/11\/18\/sometimes-god-sneaks-up-on-you-3\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sometimes God Sneaks Up on You\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I took a vacation with God. It wasn\u2019t anything elaborate or expensive. I simply felt like we needed time alone together \u2013 just me and God without the many\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/2015\/11\/18\/sometimes-god-sneaks-up-on-you-3\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shrinking the Camel\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-11-18T23:18:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2015-11-29T03:15:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/wp.production.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/files\/2015\/11\/fly-fishing-885772_640.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"JBW\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"JBW\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"17 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/2015\/11\/18\/sometimes-god-sneaks-up-on-you-3\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/2015\/11\/18\/sometimes-god-sneaks-up-on-you-3\/\",\"name\":\"Sometimes God Sneaks Up on You\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2015-11-18T23:18:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2015-11-29T03:15:45+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/#\/schema\/person\/30946d9314ace8109cb1f63f162aa624\"},\"description\":\"I took a vacation with God. It wasn\u2019t anything elaborate or expensive. I simply felt like we needed time alone together \u2013 just me and God without the many\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/2015\/11\/18\/sometimes-god-sneaks-up-on-you-3\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/2015\/11\/18\/sometimes-god-sneaks-up-on-you-3\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/2015\/11\/18\/sometimes-god-sneaks-up-on-you-3\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Sometimes God Sneaks Up on You\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/\",\"name\":\"Shrinking the Camel\",\"description\":\"Connecting business life with spiritual life.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/#\/schema\/person\/30946d9314ace8109cb1f63f162aa624\",\"name\":\"JBW\",\"description\":\"JBW is a business executive living and working in the Northeast USA.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/author\/jwood\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Sometimes God Sneaks Up on You","description":"I took a vacation with God. It wasn\u2019t anything elaborate or expensive. I simply felt like we needed time alone together \u2013 just me and God without the many","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/2015\/11\/18\/sometimes-god-sneaks-up-on-you-3\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Sometimes God Sneaks Up on You","og_description":"I took a vacation with God. It wasn\u2019t anything elaborate or expensive. I simply felt like we needed time alone together \u2013 just me and God without the many","og_url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/2015\/11\/18\/sometimes-god-sneaks-up-on-you-3\/","og_site_name":"Shrinking the Camel","article_published_time":"2015-11-18T23:18:28+00:00","article_modified_time":"2015-11-29T03:15:45+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/wp.production.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/files\/2015\/11\/fly-fishing-885772_640.jpg"}],"author":"JBW","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"JBW","Est. reading time":"17 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/2015\/11\/18\/sometimes-god-sneaks-up-on-you-3\/","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/2015\/11\/18\/sometimes-god-sneaks-up-on-you-3\/","name":"Sometimes God Sneaks Up on You","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/#website"},"datePublished":"2015-11-18T23:18:28+00:00","dateModified":"2015-11-29T03:15:45+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/#\/schema\/person\/30946d9314ace8109cb1f63f162aa624"},"description":"I took a vacation with God. It wasn\u2019t anything elaborate or expensive. I simply felt like we needed time alone together \u2013 just me and God without the many","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/2015\/11\/18\/sometimes-god-sneaks-up-on-you-3\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/2015\/11\/18\/sometimes-god-sneaks-up-on-you-3\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/2015\/11\/18\/sometimes-god-sneaks-up-on-you-3\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Sometimes God Sneaks Up on You"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/","name":"Shrinking the Camel","description":"Connecting business life with spiritual life.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/#\/schema\/person\/30946d9314ace8109cb1f63f162aa624","name":"JBW","description":"JBW is a business executive living and working in the Northeast USA.","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/author\/jwood\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6392","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1878"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6392"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6392\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6392"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6392"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/shrinkingcamel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6392"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"fly-fishing-885772_640\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/437\/2015\/11\/fly-fishing-885772_640.jpg\")
<\/a>I took a vacation with God. It wasn\u2019t anything elaborate or expensive. I simply felt like we needed time alone together \u2013 just me and God without the many distractions of work, emails, cell phone calls, and the beloved family.<\/p>\n