Beauty of Stillness

 

Beauty can be seen in a multitude of areas in our lives.  As shared in previous posts, it can be seen in changes experience of anticipation of experiences to come.  Those experiences can lead to a life that could rival a full-length action movie.  Constant work to do, constant chores to get done, constant lists to cross off – our days can begin to run together with no end in sight.  The busyness of this world continues as we try to rest our weary heads at night, with thoughts racing through our minds of things that we did not get done or problems we did not solve.

My life can be like this.  The ability for me to relax can be met with a sense of guilt.  The words racing through my mind are, “I am certain there must be something that I should be doing.”  Those words do not last long before I realize that there is a small chore I forgot or something I wanted to get to, and that moment of rest changes to busyness.  Is there anyone reading who is nodding their head in agreement?

In walks the pandemic.  For approximately one year, the world seemed to stop.  There were fewer places for us to ‘go,’ less dinners with friends and family.  The days of one chore running into another had turned into moments when I walked around the house trying to ‘find’ something to do.  The time slowed down a bit, and so did I.  My husband and I spent more time on our deck, enjoying our backyard and each other’s company.  I realized the importance and gift of stillness!

In the stillness, I saw more of God’s beauty in the simple things in life – the squirrel playing in the tree, the movement of the leaves in the trees as the breeze blew, the smile on my husband’s face.  I came to cherish those times.  The world then ‘opened up’ again, and the days began to look increasingly familiar to ‘pre-pandemic’ times.  Busy days returned.  Places to go crept into our lives.  Stillness was replaced with busyness.

Today, though, I stopped.  I longed for the days of stillness. I longed for the feeling of peace.  I went back to my place of stillness, the deck.  I took the time to look upon God’s beauty and realized that He provides stillness as a gift.  In our stillness, not only can we see God’s beauty, but we can feel God’s presence.  When our lives are too busy to be still, we can’t feel when God is with us.  His presence is replaced by people and things.  When we are still, we can feel God warming our hearts and filling our souls.  Talking to God is not all we should do in stillness; we can be still and listen for Him to speak to us.  In stillness, we can experience His love!  I know I can certainly use to experience more of God’s love in my life!

There is much beauty in the world around us, beauty that God gave us.  Yet, ensure you make a little time to be still and appreciate the beauty God is giving YOU!  In that stillness, God is giving you the peace and love that only He can give.  We just need to be still to receive it!

Dearest Lord, help us to take time out of our busy days to be still.  In that stillness, may we appreciate the gifts that you give to us.  May our simple faith be drawn to your love and may you provide us peace for our souls.  In your name we pray.  Amen!