Quiet. Just the word itself soothes my soul, unfurrows my brow, lifts a burden from my shoulders I didn’t know was there. Quiet. How my soul needs quiet at regular intervals, preferably in long, large doses.
Now more than ever. It is such a noisy time. Chatter everywhere. So many voices competing, along with the traffic roars, the beepers and buzzers and telephone tones, the music pulsing, pulsing in stores, so distracting I can’t make clear choices and just want to flee.
It surprised me to see, in reading that old journal from twenty years back, how overloaded and stressed my life could get even in that time. I recall there was no Facebook then, or Twitter, or Pinterest, or everyman’s blogging, and though we had a computer, we didn’t even use email yet.
Now, on beyond email, the clamor is astounding. And it’s more important than ever, for me at least, to turn it all off, come aside “to a quiet place,” and give my own additional noisy head-chatter time to run down within me as well, to find my strength in quietness and rest one blessed day in seven.
This is the gift He has given. In asking us to give up and give over and give back this time in honor of Him, tithe-like, He actually prescribes just what our own needy souls are secretly panting for, and gives—“not as the world gives”—His peace.
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In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.
-Isaiah 30:15
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Linking with Five Minute Friday, where the week’s prompt word is… you guessed it–and Sharing His Beauty.
Sweet post! You write in a moving way. This was a joy to read and an invitation to more. Thank you for this. I am your neighbor on FMF! 🙂
Such a pleasure to meet you, Kelly! Glad we met up. Thanks for your encouraging comment.
Funny isn’t it, how we thought the world was noisy 20 years ago? I had just discovered “You’ve got mail!” from AOL and my friend told me about this thing called the world-wide web…I’ve never thought of my quiet time with God as being a tithe–but it’s true. If I don’t tithe him daily, I come up short at the end of the day!
Yep, Anita. I’ve gotten a lot of entertainment–and (re)enlightenment–from reading that “time capsule” journal!
YES I love silence. Where quiet is a teacher, and I become the student. Yes.
Ooh, I like this, Sharon: “Where quiet is a teacher, and I become the student.” Words to hold onto. So glad you stopped to comment.
Oh, I agree: “How my soul needs quiet at regular intervals, preferably in long, large doses”!
Quiet time with God is essential to sanity and stability in the crazy cacophony of living.
Lynn, I can’t say if everyone needs long intervals of quiet this much, but I know I do. It’s the introvert part of my makeup, in part. I do think, like you though, that “quiet time with God is essential…” for everyone, “in the crazy cacophony of living”—now more than ever, and possibly as we go forward , more and more and more!
I keep meaning to go back and re-read journals from those days! I’m sure I’d be shocked. I have a feeling I would see the hand of God at work as well — much more than I saw it in the moment.
Yeah, Michele, sometimes it almost knocks me right over!
Thanks for visiting and commenting.
I love the verse you quoted! My soul craves the quiet, too. I’ve always been a loner. Encouraging post! Have a blessed week.
Lynette
~stopping by from FMF – where I’m perched way down at #117
Ah, a soul sister! (I went to your website and read your post.) How nice to meet you! I’m so glad you came around here and commented. A very blessed week to you, too.