I needed this stretch of quiet,
In order to hear my soul.
It is too easy to ignore
The longings and cries of my heart
As well as my sins and bad attitudes
In the everyday rush of life.
When my days are too full
Even to find time to fold laundry,
It’s not just my schedule bursting at the seams
But myself as well.
It is during these times of rushing
that I fail to see and hear
the opportunities and graces God grants.
I miss…
The animated chatter of a child,
The earnest sharing of another’s heart,
The chance to reassure someone she is loved.
The small gifts God grants,
The glory of watching the sun rise while holding someone I love,
The sound of wind in the trees,
The line of geese pecking peacefully in the grass.
And I fail to give thanks
For loyal and thoughtful friends,
A loving husband and children,
A God who is there when no one else seems to be,
Unshakeable and full of love.
Help me, Lord, to learn to be still,
To quiet my soul before you.
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalms 46:10
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother; Psalms 131:2
