That Quiet Spot

Ever have one of those spots that is just your favorite place to read or be quiet?  Ever have a familiar chair that hugs you just right?  Maybe even a room that is just where you relax and have space to read or write in your journal or sip your tea or catches the sunlight perfectly in a way that says, "all is good?"  I've tried to make sure I have just that kind of spot in every house that I have lived in.  It's always different depending on the house.  Sometimes it has been one end of the sofa, or the kitchen table, or a recliner, or a screened porch....but it's my spot. I use my spot for most of the activities listed above, but by far my favorite use is for quiet time to read my Bible and meditate on what I've read.  It's the place I meet with God.  At my little house this space is in my office recliner.  My office is small and quiet with lots of windows and it has recliner in it that I purchased because it is just the right size. I sound like Little Red Riding Hood....  I read and journal and pray and close my eyes and think, really think about what I've read.  This brings calm, wholeness, stability, and peace in my life like nothing else.

The other day I came across a passage in Psalms 131 - it's the entire passage really, that brought my quiet spot to a whole other dimension:

My heart is not proud, O Lord,

my eyes are not haughty;

I do not concern myself with great matters,

or things too wonderful for me.

But I have stilled and quieted my soul;

like a weaned child with its mother....

put your hope in the Lord both now

and forevermore.

Here the Psalmist has humbled himself, pride and haughtiness have no room before our Creator, so I believe here at the beginning we learn that willful humility initiates quietness in our soul. When we are hurt or prideful our mind races and thoughts crowd out any peacefulness.  Also if we think more highly than we should about ourselves rather than having a humble heart, we aren't ready to receive all that God has in store for us, a prideful heart always thinks it deserves more.  

Another part of having a quiet soul is eliminating all those thoughts about things going on around us.  So much data crowds our thinking, especially in this day with social media, instant 24 hour news feeds, a global perspective on war, disease, weather, finances.  These things can weigh heavily on us daily and cause depression, anxiety, even sickness. Even lofty thoughts about how to be the best at something, at filling our calendar with things to do....these things crowd our soul and leave little room for quietness.

Next, we must still and quiet our soul.  This part I have pondered on for days.  What does this entail? First I think it is the culmination of the first two verses to be humble and remove the noise of the world from our mind.  But to still and quieten my soul.... I believe this is to take in Scripture at this point, filling my mind with the steadfast love of God, his faithfulness and amazing grace.  Let these attributes of the Almighty fill our mind and heart and soul and sink in to our being.  I find I have to continually battle a parade of outside thoughts and calendar dates and to do lists that try to march in  fill my mind.  Consider this - Moms can attest to this - you know those precious moments when your child is content to lay or sit beside you and be calm and still and relax enough to fall asleep?  Those peaceful angelic faces are so trusting and they look at you like you are worth a million bucks?  (I know, those years don't last long enough).  But this is the picture we have of being quiet.  Trusting God to invade our space with His tenderness and love as we meditate on Him and his goodness.  Some people will say, oh I can get that from yoga or meditation, but I beg to differ - because our quietness becomes hope when it is focused on the Lord.  It is quietness of mind and soul that has purpose.  

I wrote down the opposite of a quieted soul and that is a distressed and noisy soul.  There is no doubt we live in troublesome times.  I can find all sorts of troubling news just scrolling down my Facebook page, or listening to the news.  As whole we have become a people of reaction and opinion rarely considering the consequences of our rash or even harsh discourses.  We are hardly happy, most are wounded from hurts of all magnitudes and yes, we are constantly offended.  Why?  I believe it is because we do not stop and quieten our soul and our minds.  They are noisy from the influx of a constant stream of data has made us hard, bitter, tired and weary.  Daily we should step away and clear our hearts and minds of the clutter and fill it with the goodness of the Lord.  There is a peace that defies understanding when we quieten our soul.

The best time to do this is usually in the morning for me, before the day gets to a roaring start.  My quiet spot has a place I can set my coffee or hot tea as I savor this time in my comfortable chair.  I anticipate and cherish this time with God.  I find I worry less and then I am able to watch for and expect his appointments throughout the day.  That part may sound weird to some, but it has become an very cool, unique aspect of my life.

Find that quiet spot.  When you do, keep a Bible that easy to hold and mark up nearby.  Keep a pen and journal as well to write down those things that come to you fresh  that renew your soul and give you hope.  

That's an actual picture of my quiet spot that I've shared on this blog.... I'd love to see yours.  

Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways.  You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.... (Psalm 128:1-2)