I venture to guess peace, and the quiet associated with it, are sought out universally. In the fast-paced, media rich world most of us live in, an extremely rare commodity is, quiet. Finding ways to achieve and enjoy quiet will add precious moments in this stress-filled routine we share.

When I hear the term peace and quiet, there is an image that comes to mind. You may not be able to remember when you last experienced it, but you so know what it feels like. What comes to mind for you?

A sleeping baby, a magnificent sunset, a hummingbird in an otherwise motionless garden darting from flower to flower, or you taking a nap on a hammock near a lake. The choices are plentiful. When one is in an atmosphere where everything around them is in suspended animation, it is with great ease that one can find peace and quiet.

What happens when the surroundings are highly charged with emotions or negative actions? How can we experience more peace and thereby quiet in those circumstances, which are out of our control? How about when others are trying to cause you to be as agitated and aggressive as they are, what can be done to establish and maintain peace? Do you find yourself trying harder to experience that quiet daily?

From the Inside out

If you have ever experienced having a new baby in the house or been at someone else’s home when that little bundle is resting you know that everyone works together to ensure the babe is not awakened! People tiptoe around, they muffle the sounds of everyday living like spies on a special mission. I saw a note on a front door which appealed, “Please don’t ring the bell baby is sleeping”.

Yes, right thinking individuals taking care of that little one understand how important it is to mobilize effort that causes quiet to prevail on behalf of the child. As that youngster grows and more of their ability to act on freewill emerges, more care is taken to encourage said child to calm them self, and create that quiet on their own.

As we mature spiritually our caretaker shields us and wards off some of the noise. God has made certain provisions to protect us. We are also expected to learn more and use tools available to us. At some point we are to create that peace and quiet through the word of God.

Come to Quiet

As a teacher in the classroom I worked with a colleague who instructed our upper grade students to “come to quiet”. I found those words interesting. It is a very real phrase. Come to quiet properly suggests it is an action, an energetic activity! To come to quiet causes us to direct effort on something. More than blocking out the noise it is a focus on a desired outcome.

We have numerous examples of individuals in the Bible that were able to come to quiet. I am reminded of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were thrown into a fiery furnace because they disobeyed King Nebuchadnezzar and worshiped their God. The furnace was a form of punishment used at the time.

The King made the fire seven times as hot as usual and ordered the three bound men into the furnace. The fire was so hot that the soldiers escorting the three to the furnace were killed. When the King looked into the pit of fire, he saw the men well and walking around. He had them released from the furnace. They exited without being harmed, singed or even the smell of smoke. Please review Daniel chapter three for the details.

Indeed these three men had to have had a way to come to quiet. Have you ever been in front of a roaring fire and heard the flames? Well they were inside, can you imagine how they must have come to quiet in order to withstand the ordeal?

You see quiet does not just happen on its own. We are empowered to come to quiet. We can focus and direct our thoughts to a place where no matter what is going on around us, even if others perish nearby, and it seems as though we are to be consume, we can be in a place of peace and quiet.

Seek God for ways to come to quiet no matter how deafening and consuming your situation may be.

Love,

Deborah

“Lighting the path to loving your neighbor as yourself.”