NCN 2017–Day 16

It is quiet around here today. Really quiet…the kind where you can hear the clock ticking on the mantle from across the room. I am loving it.

I’ve been “peopling” a lot here lately and I have enjoyed the blessing of company and friends who love me. This quiet, though, is a balm to my soul. Even my cat is quiet right now–and that’s rarely the case. We’re both just soaking in the quiet and enjoying the vacation from sound.

In a little bit, I’ll need to move and get busy checking items off my To-Do list (on 3 bright yellow sticky notes so far today, thank you very much, Tuesday Ladies!!). I’ll get things started and go out and “people” again, listen to music, and get things done. I’ll pray as I go and I’ll enjoy every moment…because I’ve already decided to do that. I have decided to be content today.

We can decide, you know. Some people aren’t aware of that and some have forgotten it, but it’s still true.

I pray you’ll be one of the ones who remembers it today. Even more, I pray you’ll be one who chooses to practice it today.

No matter how loud your day gets, I hope there’s a little space of quiet and contentment for you where you can rest from the noise of life and remember that you are loved beyond measure and valued for more than all you manage to accomplish today.

Grace and Peace!

“I have experienced times of need and times of abundance. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of contentment…” Philippians 4:12a (NET Bible)

 

 

Hello, again! (more than just a Neil Diamond song!)

It’s been a week–a whole week–since I’ve posted and I have to tell you that I really needed it.  Sometimes there are just too many words inside my head and it’s a good idea to step back and just be quiet.

Quiet.  It seems that I’ve become a bit obsessed with this word here of late.  There are worse things to become obsessed with, I’d guess.  I think it is because our whole society has become so loud that I’ve been made more aware of the need for the discipline of deliberate quiet in my life.

In my week of self-imposed silence here, I’ve traveled almost 800 miles, spent days with relatives, pretty much ignored Facebook (oh, my!), responded only to the most critical of emails, caught up on the tremendous pile of magazines that had gone unread, cleaned out even more closet space, rearranged my pantry a bit, collected a tremendous pile for donation and moved the furniture around to within an inch of its inanimate life.  I’ve scoured distant antique shops for items to be “re-imagined” in our business offerings, wandered through bookstores (luxury!), read online articles that challenged and entertained me, sent only 7 texts and, mainly, spoken only with those I’ve been related to by blood or marriage.

I’ve had time for some introspection—some of which I took the time to do and some of which I ignored in favor of just silence.  Mental, spiritual, emotional silence.

It’s been as close to a vacation as I think I’ll get this year.

I needed it.

It wasn’t about the travel or even the time with relatives so much as just the needed unplugging from the routine.

It may not sound super-spiritual, but I tell you that it definitely helped me.  And who said everything we needed to do was supposed to be “super-spiritual” anyway?  (grin)  Because I’m aware that there is no space between the sacred and the secular in the life of one who loves God, I’m a firm believer that there are times when the commonplace must take precedence in the schedule in order to allow the hallowed aspects of just breathing in and out to become more apparent.  Failure to do this grants equal footing to both the trivial and the essential… and when that happens, the truly valuable things can’t be given their proper acknowledgement.

I cannot say that I am more balanced or centered as a result of this past week.  I’m not entirely certain I was un-balanced before it began.  (Others may differ with me here!–smile)  However, I can tell you that I more aware of my own need for rest and I intend to pursue a schedule that will allow me to have some time of mental rest on a more regular basis.  If nothing else, this is a vital change for me.

I am more determined than ever to utilize the “no” in order to be available to say the “yes” when it is necessary.  I am further resolved that the determination of when something is necessary will not be dependent on the heat of the moment, but rather on what God has to say about the matter—and what He’s already had to say about what is supposed to be my focus in this life.  Imagine it with me:  the pursuit of what God says is important for me (and you!) to do with the one life we’ve been given.  I think I’d lost sight of that for awhile.   While there are definitely areas of commonality in our respective missions, we’ve each been given gifts—and instructions!–that are just for us.  These are the gifts and instructions that are given with the intent of enriching our own individual lives…and by extension, the lives of those who love us and share this time and place with us.

Oh, the things you find when you aren’t really looking for them…

(and now, I’m off to do some of those things…and I’ll be trying not to sing like Neil Diamond in my head as I go…)

Just like Roscoe P. Coltrane…

Here of late, I’ve been in “hot pursuit” of an elusive prey:  the quiet life.  In another–and perhaps more telling commonality with Roscoe P. Coltrane–I’ve been more than a bit clumsy in achieving the quest.  It seems as though the harder I pursue this path, the more I trip myself up and create more chaos and disruption around me.  This does not have the result of mitigating my need for some quiet at all.

Lest I become downcast at the very idea of having so much in common with Roscoe, God was kind enough to orchestrate the appearance of the following quote by A.W. Tozer in my email earlier this week:

“We Christians must simplify our lives or lose untold treasures on earth and in eternity. Modern civilization is so complex as to make the devotional life all but impossible. The need for solitude and quietness was never greater than it is today.”

I wonder what would Tozer think if he were with us today?!  While I’m somewhat mollified that I can claim a similar thought process with the spiritually and mentally sound Tozer, I fear that connection may be infinitely more tenuous than my Roscoe ones.  Oh, dear.  On with the study of quiet…

 

The second verse I looked up on the word “quiet” was 1 Timothy 2:2 (NKJV) and for that verse to make the most sense, verse 1 must be included, as well.

Therefore I exhort first of all that suplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

Imagine that!  Consistency in Scripture!  Once again, I’m reminded that my pursuit of the quiet life involves other people.  It would seem my plan to become a hermit is doomed.  I’m going to be required, not only to consider others, but to take up some of my valuable time praying for them…and be thankful for them in the process.  (Wow, God.  You’re really asking a lot!) 

 

I love that Paul’s first priority here is prayer.  While my “supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks” may involve my concerns for others, the idea here is that I would be in a one-on-one conversation with God…first.  Prayer is a priority in the search for the quiet life.  While Paul is addressing issues about public worship and the idea that we are to publicly pray for those around us (all men), as well as our government officials, my prayer life cannot be limited to only those prayers prayed in public worship. 

 

 I must say that I started to write the words “public servants” there in the last sentence, but I find that many of our official office holders are more official-position/power-hearted than servant-hearted.  Perhaps that is where my prayers need to start.  My God is in the heart-changing business and I’d say we have need of that particular skill today.  Who knows?  Perhaps my heart will change toward them as I pray!  Imagine what could happen if our governments were truly led by those whose greatest desire was to serve God well by serving His people well!  It seems a worthy prayer request, indeed.

 

In order to achieve my ‘quiet life’ I’m going to have to

• include someone besides myself in my thought processes and my prayers.
• pray for some of the very people who cause me grief and frustration (since I’m instructed to be praying for “all men”–and no, ladies, I’m not using that terminology in it’s most literal fashion!  I’m including us in that phrase, as well…as God intended).
• pray specifically for our government leaders and all who are in authority over us…including my teacher and pastor friends.
• spend more time talking to the only One who can calm my spirit and make the changes needed in our leaders…and in me. 

I’d love to stay and chat, but apparently, I’ve got some praying to do…Come on, Roscoe, let’s go.