In Stillness

Do you have a place that you love to go to get away from the hustle of everyday life? A place where you just breathe a little deeper? Despite the fact that we are supposed to get snow tomorrow night, tomorrow is still the first day of spring. To our family that means hiking and camping season is just beginning. We bought a little pop-up camper at the end of last summer and we can't wait start planning trips. One place we visit several times a year is a serene state park. It has a beautiful lake in the middle of the mountains and every time that sparkling water fills my sight, peace floods my heart. It still amazes me that the Lord created such beautiful scenery but I still take it for granted daily. The beauty of nature was made for us to savor, not to ignore or rush through but to speak peace to our souls. I am so guilty of living distracted. I'll be honest, I hate that and I try to stop myself but it's a vicious cycle! I am on my phone way too much (#struggles). At the lake we have no choice but to focus on who we are surrounded by and the scenery in front of us - there is no cell service. There is no scrolling, just listening, talking, swimming, hiking, and relaxing on the beach or by the fire. We wake up to sunny skies (or if your luck is like ours, a few downpours!) and we fall asleep to the cicadas singing. It's blissful. While all of that sounds heavenly to me, it might not to you. There might be another place that makes a sweet peace settle over your soul when you get there. A place where worries seem farther away and God feels a lot closer. Life slows down in those places, but that doesn't mean it can't slow down at home. Perhaps we can leave our phones inside and sit on the front porch with our morning coffee and just savor a few silent moments. Maybe it's taking a walk around the neighborhood as the sun is beginning to set and the sky is ablaze with color. Maybe we can lay on the grass in the front yard and watch for shooting stars with someone we love. My kids are the perfect examples for me - they aren't distracted by technology when they are outside, they always notice the colors of the sunset, and their imaginations come alive when they are splashing through the creek in our backyard. I want to be more like them. Unhurried. Undistracted. Just enjoying the world God created for us. Jesus often retreated to a quiet place to be alone with His father and it was often in nature. He went to the mountains (Matt 14:23), the garden (Matt 26:36), and even by the sea (Matt 13:1). If Jesus needed that, how much more do we? When we feel like life is moving at lightning speed, maybe we could slow it down a little, a few minutes each day, and follow His example. We don't have to wait for that trip to the beach or that hike in the mountains, we can intentionally spend a few quiet moments with Him right where we are- on our porch, in our backyards, at the local park, etc. We can lay down the distractions and soak in the beauty around us. It might be hard at first (especially to lay down the distractions!) but we will see the fruit of it if we stick to it. Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for calling us to quiet moments and for setting that example for us. Help us to take a few minutes each day to slow down and savor it. Help us find a time and place in our day to rest in You. Speak peace to our souls as we follow what You've modeled for us. Help us to realize that time spent in the quiet with You is not wasted time, but that it's the most valuable moment of our day.