You’ll never guess where a lot of these conversations have happened… In his family’s driveway. Let me set the scene. I’m bringing him home from school, I turn the car down his street, put on my blinker, pull into his driveway and shift my car into park. Now, at this point, you’d expect him to unbuckle his seatbelt, grab his backpack, open the car door and hop out. Right? Wrong. I can’t even tell you how many times this was the precise moment when this sweet boy literally reclined the passenger seat of my car, where he was sitting, and settled in for a conversation. He loved to linger. Maybe it was because he was going into an empty house, or maybe it was because the longer he stayed in the car the longer he could put off his homework. Ha! But whatever the reason, one of this boy’s most predictable habits was settling in right when he was supposed to be getting out.

And let me tell you, the conversations we had in those windows of time were incredible. It was almost as if my act of parking the car in his driveway unlocked a deeper level of openness and vulnerability. We talked about school, friends, family challenges, the future, good memories, funny moments from the day, and who even knows what else. We would sit there for sometimes 15 minutes, sometimes almost an hour. While I tried to be patient and savor this season of life, sometimes I ended up having to literally tell him he needed to get out so I could make it to my next commitment on time. Without me moving him along on his way, there’s no telling how long he would have stayed kicked back in his seat, just shooting the breeze in the driveway. 

I wonder, how often do you linger in the presence of Jesus? Do you tarry there? Or do you keep an eye on the clock, making sure to finish your devotion or complete your Bible study questions in a certain amount of time? Lollygagging with the Lord may not be realistic for you every single day, but do you ever make the conscious decision to just sit in His presence a few minutes longer after you’ve completed your intended prayers or readings for the day? 

There is nowhere better to dawdle. Psalm 84 goes so far as to say that lingering as a doorkeeper in God’s presence is better than spending time in worldly palaces. 

Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. -Psalm 84:10

Fantastic! But check out The Message version of the same verse: 

One day spent in your house, this beautiful place of worship, beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches. I’d rather scrub floors in the house of my God than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin. -Psalm 84:10

WOW. Now there’s a bold statement if I’ve ever seen one. Spending a little extra time with God beats thousands of hours on a Greek island. How incredible is our God!? 

So when was the last time you lingered in the Lord’s presence? After you finish reading your devotion or Bible reading for the day, could you just sit for a few extra minutes with your eyes closed and mind on Jesus? Could you sit in the church pew this Sunday morning a little bit longer after the benediction to simply think about the goodness and faithfulness of God? Or here’s an idea… When you arrive somewhere five minutes early, instead of pulling out your phone, could you sit in your car and look to the sky for a bit, thinking about that day Jesus will come back in the clouds to restore the earth? 

You know the rhythms of your day, and I bet you’re thinking right now of some little time pockets here and there when you might be able to tarry with the Almighty. I wonder what He might teach you? …what He might reveal to you? …how He might fill you with peace? …how He might draw you nearer to Himself? …how He might increase your reverence and awe of Him? There’s no telling what God might do if you choose to linger. 

Just for a few minutes!

Linger.