Pitch Your Tent in God’s Backyard
By Jimmie Aaron Kepler
This morning, I was fixing my usual tall blonde roast cup of coffee, nothing fancy, just hot and strong, and thinking about how much smoother the road of life rolls when I’m tuned in to the Lord.
The house was still quiet. The sun hadn’t quite burned through the mist hanging over the yard. I eased into the porch swing with my mug and watched a couple of squirrels doing their morning stretches up the old pecan tree.
That’s when a verse from deep in my soul whispered back up to the surface:
“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you,” John 15:7 (KJV)
Now, I’ve heard that verse since I was a boy in Sunday School, starched shirt and all. Even memorized it back as a kid when I was doing the old Bible sword drill program. But this morning it felt like the Lord underlined it just for me.
What does it mean to “abide”?
I reckon it means more than just showing up to church on Sundays or offering up a quick prayer when you need a parking space or a clean bill of health.
“Abide” means staying put. Settling in.
Pitching your tent in God’s backyard.
It’s sitting long enough for the Word to sink in. Like rain soaking into parched Texas soil. Like morning light creeping across a wooden porch. You don’t rush it. You just stay. Like slowing down to watch the squirrels play in the trees.
And here’s the beautiful thing: when you start abiding like that, your prayers change. They quit sounding like a wish list for Santa Claus. Instead, they start sounding like quiet, honest conversations with your best friend.
And friend, He listens. Oh, how He listens.
Not always with fireworks or flashing signs, but in the peace that settles over you like a front-porch breeze. In the confidence that your heart is right where it belongs, resting in Him.
Stay close, y’all.
Keep that coffee hot, your Bible open, and your heart tuned in. It makes all the difference.
Until next time,
Jimmie ☕️✝️
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Abiding in Christ brings such comfort and peace. It doesn’t mean everything is perfect, but He is with us–through the trials and in the good times, too. I catch myself feeling complacent sometimes, and I’ll get a message from somewhere reminding me of when I was lost and Jesus was all that I had. When I deserved punishment, He gifted me with grace and mercy. Thank you, Jim, for this message of hope and peace.
“Pitching your tent in God’s back yard.” Oh, how I love that line. What an apt visual it brings to mind! No better place to abide with the Lord than the great outdoors.