A few years ago my girlfriends and I talked ourselves into doing a half-marathon. Keep in mind that we did not consider ourselves "runners." We were merely working together toward a common goal for our little jogging group. Although we got a little giddy about committing to our race decision, we didn't go out and run it the very next day.
- - - We had to train for it.
We trained for months, through the bitter Kansas winter with its brutally cold wind, gradually increasing our distance and building up our endurance. Pounding out the miles in the winter was the only way we stood a chance to complete the race in the spring. We needed that daily discipline to make it to the finish line.
I think we have to train for Chasing Quiet also. We have to work on being intentional to incorporate Quiet into whatever we're doing as we are living in our ordinary moments.
We may have to unplug from our devices to recenter ourselves.
We may have to reframe some of our nitty-gritty chores as being part of our current mission
field, serving our own family as we would graciously extend help to others on a mission trip.
We may have to develop some rhythms in our days that prepare us to have a more restful attitude as we approach our daily challenges. This will likely look different for each of us. What's restful for one person may not be restful for another.
And, to keep it real, we have to be prepared for interruptions along the way.
Even Jesus was interrupted when he tried to take his disciples away from the noisy crowds. (He didn't even have a bathroom door to close and hide behind.) He had to work at finding some solitude.
In addition to some daily infusion of Quiet, sometimes we have to carve out time for some extended solitude. Maybe a retreat, a weekend away with your spouse, or sending the crew out of the house so you can relax in your own space may rejuvenate you?
After that half-marathon, we drug our sore bodies to a local spa for some much needed TLC.
We knew we would need recovery time, so we sought out a quiet place to restore ourselves.
The training was arduous, but manageable because we did it together. None of us could have done it on our own.
Jesus sought quiet with His disciples. He sought rest.
Maybe having a "chasing quiet" accountability partner would help each of us in our pursuit of rest?
Join the community discussion: Bible Quilt Journal Facebook Group
Comments