I hit the pause button for the summer. It was a complicated, hard summer for our family. God is in the business of overcoming all of that. So what do you do when it’s just too much? You rest. When you choose to rest as an act of obedience, God will honor it. Over the next few months, I’ll unravel some of that here for you.
Pause.
That’s exactly what I’ve done for the past several months here at Being Brave. When the chaos around me is too much, I close in even more to balance out the noise. I’ve taken a break from posting, yet I’ve been continually writing my thoughts for you. Sifting, processing, refining. Hoping to bring you the good stuff.
Back in March, I set aside a Sabbath weekend to sit in silence. Do you have a weekend for just you? I’ve tried to set aside a weekend away, a mere 48 hours of silence, once a year for the past few years. It’s harder than it sounds.
Not speaking with the purpose of listening to the still small whispers from God is humbling. Lord, I don’t still myself enough. Most of my days are on overdrive. Doing. Going. Being. Go, go, go. To hit the pause button on the loop of life is crucial to reset our priorities.
The spring breeze through the open window is a sign of a new beginning. The sun drenched through the panes of glass, beams of warmth paralyzing me to sink into the fluffiness of the comforter. It forced me to be still with my thoughts and empty my mind so it can be filled with God’s Word. I stared at the wall. I then closed my eyes to block out other senses so I could focus on His Words. What did He want me to learn?
A weekend of silence.
Listening to the small whispers.
Focusing on rest and God.
Renewing my mind.
I walked out the door on that sunny, brisk, windy day. Listening to my meditative music as I walked, I realized that even that was too much. I needed silence. The slow rhythm of my breathing surprised me. Focusing on the breath, the in, the out, was calming. When was the last time I actually was quiet enough to hear the breath of my body? When was the last time I was still enough to hear the breath of God? The wind was still whipping when I arrived back and sat in the sun. The sounds of the highway in the distance was drowned out by the sounds of the birds and the laughter of the nearby children. The rustle of the leaves leftover from fall flitting around the corner.
God invited me to sit and listen to His sacred, simple message. Something happened in that sun drenched room that afternoon. The Holy Spirit was present and it was a gift to sit and absorb all that God was bestowing upon me that weekend.
If you can’t take a weekend, a day would be sufficient. Even if it’s a mindful few minutes everyday, it can be helpful to be quiet and connect with God in a way that has you listening instead of talking.
I’ve learned it’s better to be silent, than to fill the space with noise. Don’t be in such a rush to speak. The Lord delights in our communion with Him. In a world filled with so much noise, it’s okay to take a break and pause. Listen. Truly listen to the silence and allow God to whisper to you.
