We leave the TV on as background noise, have ipods and cell phones ready to fill quiet times and deprive ourselves of peace. I've started to question why I feel so rushed and busy in my office and in my house and so peaceful outside and in the garden. It's not silent in the garden or outside at y work. It can even be loud with frogs singing and cranes squaking as they fly overhead. I've started becoming aware that I've even had profound thoughts in the shower; maybe that's because it's the only place peaceful enough to think or hear anything.
I'm now looking at the examples of Jesus. He went to beautiful peaceful places of solitude, for meditation and prayer (Matt. 28:16; Mark 6:45-46) like mountains and gardens. Meditation is not "new age", it's an ancient practice of calming the soul. Jesus was able to connect with God the Father most in a quiet place of solitude. He set this example, and I intend to follow it.
Yesterday I began to follow that example and found a peaceful place to pray and listen for that small voice.
Jesus and his followers went to a place called Gethsemane [a garden]. He said to them, "Sit here while I pray." - Mark 14:32
1 comment:
Vonnie...what a great post. So true. After I lost my job (over a year ago) I didn't work for 6 months. I stayed at home everyday and worked in my garden. We were financially ok at that time. But those 6 months were the happiest I had every been. I felt like I was able to enjoy life at a slower place. I wasn't getting up at 6am rushing to get dressed, rushing to get to work by 8, sitting at a desk waiting for lunch, coming bakc from lunch waiting on 5pm. I would rush home and get outside for an hour or 2 and piddle in the garden. My soul is at peace in my garden. I bury a lot of troubles in the dirt as they say.
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