“Listen. Do you hear that?” I asked my husband as we drove away from my son’s home.
Complete silence. There were no sounds rising from the backseat where two of our grandchildren had been buckled in moments ago. Our precious three-year-old granddaughter loves to talk. Loves to sing. Loves to make joyful noises. And we love to hear her.
We had kept Natalie and her little brother while her momma and daddy were at the hospital welcoming our baby grandson into the world. For a few days, as we waited for news of his arrival, we played games, watched children’s television programs, read books, and chatted while having meals and snacks. Then, when the time was right, we took them home. My son’s family was complete and all together at last just as it should be.
As we drove away, it was remarkably quiet in our car. And even more noticeably noiseless when we got home. And as much as I love those littles, and love it when the whole family is in our home sharing time together, I also savor the silence when they return to their homes. Just as it should be.
When I begin my days, I love being outside on my deck with my Bible, journal and hot coffee. And my dogs. I love hearing the birds starting the day with their songs. I breath in the cool morning air stirring the trees. This is my sanctuary. And I hear Him say, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10.
I’m reading a book called, “ Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity by Saundra Dalton-Smith, M.D. In it, several areas of our lives are explored to find where we most need rest. One of those is mental rest. Here is a practical way to create a life that leads to peace:
One way to create a mental sanctuary is to choose a characteristic of God to rest on each day like love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and faithfulness. Let each characteristic be the mental place you return to throughout the day as you practice creating a mental sanctuary.
Sacred Rest
It’s challenging to turn off ALL our easily accessed technology, and just. be. silent. Have you tried it lately?
“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.” Psalm 62:1-2 ESV
“The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” Exodus 14:14.
“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” Mark 1:35
Share Your Good Words
Good Questions of the Week: Do you have time for silence in your busy days? Where do you like to go to be quiet and alone with your Maker? How do we drown out the crazy and tune in to only hear His gentle, quiet voice?
The following excerpt is from a story that will be included in my upcoming book, Unseen People: Sharing Light and Life with Your Neighbors and the Nations. Click the link below to see the progress of the book.
Listen…. Do you hear that?…. Nothing?…. Exactly.
I take that back. I hear the wind through the trees and autumn leaves wisping to the ground. The solo of a bird chirping nearby. It’s music to my soul. The quiet. The coolness. The nothingness of being still.
A Good Podcast: Speak up and Don’t Be Silent, The Bottom Line #52. Host Joko Booyens speaks with Jenna Quinn, a sex trafficking survivor, on this podcast: Speak Up and Don't Be Silent. (NOTE: Jenna will be one of the featured guest speakers at the upcoming Red Cord Freedom Gala, Sept. 30th. If you are in southwest Oklahoma, grab your tickets while they are still available: The Red Cord Gala tickets)
A Good Post: How do you respond to silence? This is a Facebook post by podcaster and writer, Linda Goldfarb. She hosts the podcast, Your Best Writing Life.
A Good Blog: Do you hear it? This is my blog from a few years ago. Do troublesome sounds disturb your sleep?
A Good Book: An Invitation to Solitude and Silence, Ruth Haley Barton. This book is an invitation to you to meet God deeply and fully outside the demands and noise of daily life.
A Good Song: How about a little Christmas in August? Silent Night
Some of the links above are associate links. That means, when you click and purchase, I receive a small percentage of that sale. Those funds, as well as funds from paid subscribers, support my writing this piece each week. Thank you! I commit to forwarding a minimum of 10% to the amazing nonprofits: She Is Safe and The Red Cord. They help raise awareness of sex trafficking. They help prevent, rescue and restore victims to new life.
A Final Good Word
In the blog I mentioned above, Do you hear it?, I end with this thought concerning noise and interrupted sleep:
But what if we flipped a different switch in our brains and chose to first pray? What if we acknowledged the obvious — yes, there is an unknown sound but yes, there is God my Father who sees and knows all things. And loves me. And even if it is a problem, God is still there and He still sees me. And loves me.
And instead of Drip. Drip. Drip. Or Tick. Tick. Tick. I hear His comforting whisper…
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7
And I turn over and go back to sleep.
I’d love to hear from you. This is your chance to share with me whatever is on your heart today. Please share:
Contact me privately: deannalynnsanders@gmail.com.
Thank you for taking your time to read my words. And if you would, please share a good word with someone today. Invite others into our Good Word community.
Thank you friend!
Times alone with Him are the best!