The whole earth is full of God’s glory. (Isaiah 6:3) When we are outside, we are surrounded by His glory. This explains why even a few minutes outdoors relieves us of stress and worry. Walk, work, or just sit outside. Trust God to fill you with His peace and glory. He is always faithful to bring stillness in me.
All Is His
Stillness slows my soul and reminds me that God is the standard and all that surrounds me is His. I often admire his splendor and work through moon phases that repeat, the sun and how it seems to sweep over my house day in and day out, or how one single leaf silently falls in the stillness of the morning. I notice the timid, hurried lizard that has made a home in the tightest of cracks on the retaining wall. The puddles of water that stand for days in the low areas of my patio. Are they simply giving the tiny animals time to take a few sips or maybe a quick bath? Or maybe the water knows to wait for the wind so that all continues to flow in perfect sync.
Stillness As Strength
Today, I noticed a batch of leaves high on the oak that are the last to fall. Will they ever drift from the branches? They may stay until the spring batch pushes through. They are larger than any, and their color and texture resemble leather. I can’t help but smile when I realize one is as big as my face. I guess they are strong enough to hold on through the complete season. They have not wavered in the wind, rain, or cold. They remind me of the strong people I know. Are they as strong as they appear? Under pressure, even these large leaves will crumble. Stillness could be their strength.
Don’t Run Off
Stay a while and still your mind. Allow God to be present. Don’t run off. Learning the art of stillness changes our thought patterns and our viewpoint. Five minutes is all we need to create a new pace and tempo. I worry that life is piling up behind me when I am still. I am so wrong. Hindsight and daily living have taught me that my life becomes more plentiful when I find stillness.
Modest Measures
Hurry is the pace of the world around us. It has become so expected that I hardly notice how rushed I am. Since stepping away from teaching, I realize that few things are such an emergency. Life is too fleeting to hurry. When we stay in a rush, we miss the beauty. And I can now tell you that beauty is everywhere. We need to be still and notice. I was in such haste to plan, teach, and complete each task that the years slid by almost unnoticed. The abundant life is not found in the rush. It is found in modest measures of stillness each day. Afterward, I confidently step into my day and let God lead the way.
Our Stillness, His Glory
Without stillness we miss Him; we miss God. Life lacks meaning when there is no stillness, space, or quiet. Stillness does not come easy. I must be intentional, and I must pave the way. Sunrise is my time to find stillness. You’ll find that nature practices alongside you. I love the soft opening of each new day. All creation comes together through stillness, and our day unfolds. Significance is found. I am recentered. The whole earth is full of His glory, and he shares with us in our stillness.
Stay Curious,
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