By: Donna Bucher
“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, all
sap 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 to 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 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.
Find more encouragement and FREE Resources at Serenity
in Suffering!
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"Releasing the need to control outcomes of my day" is such a powerful thought. Yes, doing that would definitely relieve stress, give me time for reflection and lot more positive benefits.
ReplyDeleteI will be thinking about those words as I go about my day.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my post! I think letting go of my preferred outcomes for my day is the hardest thing to do!! But when I am able to do so, I do find rest, peace, and God in the moments of my day!
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