Rhythm of Rest: Get Quiet
Because of our unique, God-given personalities, I would suspect each of us has natural tendencies to excel without really making a concerted effort at one of these four rhythms: resting, restoring, connecting, and creating. When reading through the chapter on rest, I constantly saw my face reflected back at me in the truths Lyons pulled out, and no more so than the chapter about quiet.
“We would do well to understand that we are able to be our best selves when we are centered in a place of quiet rest” (44) jumped out at me, and I am experiencing that truth about myself in this very moment. We are at our homeschool co-op today, and normally my kids who aren’t in class naturally gravitate with me toward the “Quiet Study Room” that is across the hall. I could feel my heart sink today when I saw the bewildering sign posted on the door that it was closed today. Reluctantly, I pulled my heart from that space and instead trudged into the main room trying not to look back with longing, and upon arriving, I was affirmed almost immediately of why we make that choice each week to go to our haven.
Whenever you read of a habit that Jesus had and realize that you have the same one, it’s encouraging: Lyons pointed out that “Jesus modeled taking times of quiet” (44), and his regular rhythm and habit of listening - discerning - understanding feels like a precious and encouraging affirmation of the personality of an introvert.
As we all know, the world we live in is a noisy place - a place full of dings and distractions, a place where it’s easy to lose track of that still small voice that speaks to us from inside our hearts. What a simple and powerful reminder that sometimes God calls to simply “Be still”. Out of all the commands Jesus gives us, this one may be one of my favorites simply because it comes so naturally to me. See if you can carve out space in your day or week for a place where you can sit and simply hear yourself breathe. This will restore your soul to spend time by the proverbial quiet waters.