Although I've been more intentional about cultivating Quiet into my life this month, a quick scroll through my photos from the last few weeks shows a life that has not been put on hold. I've tried to chase quiet in the pauses between our family's activities and events.
"IN HIM we live, and move and have our being." Acts 17:28
This verse reminds me that our BEing IN HIM is a continuous pursuit as we live and move through our ordinary days, engaging in our families and communities.
Our 10-hour work days on my son's Eagle Scout project were filled with all kinds of machinery noise, grunts, cheers, and boisterous boy interactions as we navigated through problem-solving issues during the building process. Yet there was an undercurrent of satisfaction as progress was being made.
Each morning of the project I had some quiet time to prepare for the busy day and some reflective time at the end of the day while my guys were recharging in their own ways. During lunch breaks and an occasional lull, I had some good soul chats with family that came to lend support.
Being outside with the crew over multiple days, enjoying the sunshine and crisp, cool air was in itself a recharge. We brought our dog one day and she insisted on regular petting breaks, slowing us down to enjoy a quiet moment.
On one of my project errands, I picked up some pumpkins and gourds for the freshly built tables. As the boys played with them, admiring the varied bumps and colors, I could see how God's beauty in nature grounded them in mutual delight and curiosity.
This month we were also deep into the cross country season, cheering on our boy.
Then suddenly we fell into watching football and basketball together as a family. Sports have their own love language around here, whether it's on the field or sitting beside each other on the couch. Sometimes I'll slip away during half-time to have a quiet interlude...or I opt to stay sandwiched in between my guys and soak in their camaraderie.
We've shuffled closets to transition from summer to the warm layers of fall & winter. We've done a lot of cleaning up after house projects and some end-of-summer yard work. Each of these tasks can seem like a chore, but if we put on God's perspective of "IN HIM we live and move," then we can reframe our servants' hearts a little quicker.
All of this is to acknowledge that our lives are busy and sometimes unpredictable, yet we can strive to maintain a layer of Quiet in between the hustle.
Sometimes it's been a challenge and I've had to revisit the "training for quiet" analogy to remind myself this process takes practice.
Whenever I've taken a few moments to refocus, I've discovered that I can enter the next family commitment with more intention and grace.
Resting in God's presence helps me be more authentic in my interactions with others and more settled in my spirit.
As we wind down our #31daysofquiet later this week, I hope you're able to discern some shifts in your own perspective of rest and have a heightened awareness of ways to infuse quiet into your busy days.
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