Sacred Silence
Finding Promise in the Stillness
As the new day dawns, I pause, watching the way the sun’s rising slowly brings light into the darkness, cueing the birds to their morning songs. Slowly, my mind stirs and I consider the hours ahead.
But, before I get too far along the path with my thoughts, I pause.
Right now, there are dreams, still groggy in my sleepy mind and there is quiet. There is a stillness that the rest of the day will not provide unless I seek it out. So in these moments, fresh from sleep, I pause because I want to embrace this silent stillness.
This is a sacred moment if I choose to turn my thoughts away from the day and its demands that stack up one behind the other, waiting to be heard. Rather than entertain the clamor, I choose the sacred stillness that whispers reminders of God’s promises:
He has plans for me for a future and a hope, and that includes this day (Jeremiah 29:11);
He is my refuge and my hope (Psalm 46:1), and that includes from the worries of viruses and the economy and things I cannot control;
He is in control (Isaiah 41:10), even if it doesn’t appear that way always;
He knows the number of hairs on my head (Luke 12:7) and He cares for me deeply and intimately, in my joy and in my sorrow, in my doubt and in my fear, in my going out and coming in.
He knows the desires of my heart, and He meets me in this stillness and stirs my dreams with His promises. He stirs my heart to life and reminds me to pause and to seek His face. He points me to beauty and hope and reminds me the path before me is divinely appointed for me.
In this sacred stillness, He reminds He is here. He reminds me when I become overwhelmed, if I will but pause, I will sense Him in the stillness and know He is there, too, in the chaos.
This post is part of a series of short freewriting prompts based on a single word. With the word in mind, I tune into a writing playlist, typically choose two songs (today was three), and write without editing or stopping until the two songs are finished because showing up is just as important as the words that end up on the page.
Today’s word — pause.
