Woman to Woman: Longing For Peace and Quiet?

“For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, In returning [to me] and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength. But you were unwilling.”

Isaiah 30:15

Sometimes noise is more than unpleasant sounds assaulting our ears. Sometimes our lives contain an abundance of noise in other forms which steals our “peace”.

Recently, I truly longed for a peaceful space. My heart felt overwhelmed, my mind seemed trapped on a superhighway of thoughts and my body felt tense. My outward environment contained the usual noise, but nothing excessive driving my need for “quiet”.

The demands of family, job, responsibilities; push into our days like cruel taskmasters, leaving us little time for introspection.

Sadly swept up in both the monotony and demands of everyday life, my ears turned deaf to a gentle whisper offering me rest. Like a drowning person thrashing against the person attempting to rescue them, I resisted God’s invitation to rest.

Preferring instead my own methods of pushing forward, with the hope of finding the quiet for which I longed, in completing the tasks at hand. Unfortunately, the completion of tasks manages to create more tasks, leaving me with the feelings of overwhelm I failed to shake.

Yet God will not shout into my life. He whispers so I get close and listen.

Noise, overwhelm, busyness, saps your strength. Returning to the drowning person example, instead of relaxing and attempting to float, they thrash about exhausting what little strength they have. Continuing attempts at pushing through my days, focused only on meeting demands around me exhausts all my strength.

Stopping even for a few moments, allows me to float, inviting quietness to wash over and revive me. When I thrash about with the demands of my day, God’s voice becomes muted. When I pause, relax and float, I hear his every word.

The words of Isaiah 30:15 came as both a rebuke and a healing balm. Providing the answer to my struggle, yet reminding me the choice remained with me, helped me gain my bearings. God still beckoned, his offer still open, I needed only respond.

Return to him. While allowing my responsibilities and demands of life bully me is not necessarily sinful, I still chose my own way in handling them. Changing direction also creates opportunity for reflection and confession if needed.

Rest. Creating space for rest in my days is my superpower. Whether 5 minutes, 15 minutes or more, the cessation of work and activity rejuvenates mind, body and soul.

Quietness. Seeking quiet within by calming my thoughts, seeking quiet spiritually through scripture meditation or simply a few quiet moments contemplating God’s presence with me. All contribute to a peaceful countenance.

Trust. Remembering God’s sovereignty over my day, my schedule, and my responsibilities produces a surrendered heart. Releasing the need to control outcomes of my day moves me into a place of peace.

All of these options stand available to me at any time throughout my day or week. Are you feeling overwhelmed, weary, pulled in too many different directions? Does enjoying moments of peace and quiet seem the impossible dream?

Stop.

Breathe.

Return to him, create space for a brief Rest,

Quiet your thoughts by meditating on scripture and

Trust the outcome of your day to the Lord.

Let me know in the comments how I can pray for you!