Returning to the House of God

So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, he and his wife and all that belonged to him, and Lot with him.  Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold.  He went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the altar which he had made there formerly; and there Abram called on the name of the LORD. (Genesis 13:1-4)

Abram has had a "close call" in Egypt where he seems to have nearly lost Sarai to the Pharaoh.  And now he returns to Bethel (actually Beth-El, meaning House of God), and sets up his tents where he built the altar before.  The text is very specific about him returning to the same place.  There he worships, where he worshiped before.  But this is not where the text says God appeared to him, that was in Shechem.  This is where he sought God.

I wondered if this was a place where he sought God for an experience like he had in Shechem, but was disappointed.  From this account, I would think he wasn't disappointed, but had a very meaningful experience with God, even if it wasn't what he was looking for. 

I have places like this, and in nearly every place I have lived, I have somewhere like this, where I sought God and had a meaningful experience of worship.  I have a lot fewer places where God sought me and initiated the worship, like Shechem.  Most of my places are more like Beth-El.  I haven't found one here though.  That needs to change.

For me, these places are outside, remote (or feel remote), and have a view.  In Idaho, this was easy.  In Texas, it was...not nearly as easy, at least not where we were.  In California I knew of all sorts of places near where I was raised.  But while they weren't hard to find, it was difficult to find "pure ones".  In some, I tainted them with something I had done wrong there as well.  So the number there is fewer than it should be. 

I think I need to find a place around here where I seek my Master in worship.  Not corporate worship, I already have a great place for that.  And not study because I have that as well.  My need is for prayer.  These times of prayer are what I need to loose the stuff and gain my Master; contemplative places.  I call on the name of my Master, and most times the experiences are just time without revelation. 

I think I know a place I can use, but it also seems used by others for other things.  Perhaps I can reclaim some land for my Master, call on His name, and empty myself for His filling.  Or maybe I'll just sit in His lap and be quiet.