All At Once
These past several weeks were a whirlwind. As it goes, I had stacked my plate so high that it took all of my energy to balance it. There have been multiple changes happening in our life, and the bigger changes seem to have all peaked at the same time.
I was so caught up that I was caught off guard when I felt the stir in my spirit to go to “a quiet place.” Of course I challenged the stir, “Excuse me, can’t you see that I’m busy here!?”
Gradually, I grew weary to the watered-down wisdom I’d been given about change: “Change can be a good thing.” “Change is just a part of life.” Here’s some wisdom for ya, change is EXHAUSTING.
Often, when we are wrapped up in our own whirlwind of change, we are like a car with no wipers driving in the rain. Some of us are stubborn and will try to keep driving. Others will pull over and become avoidant to everything. Those who have gone through lots of change before, find the closest place to eat to wait out the storm.
So, what do we do when we are being slammed with these curveballs of change? The truth be told, I don’t know.
What I do know, is that change is hard, and most of the time, we are not in control.
Therefore, trying to devise a recipe to soothe the side effects of change can seem daunting or nearly impossible. It can be hard to prepare for something you don’t expect.
It’s taken me most of my life to realize that when “I don’t know,” Jesus typically does.
When Jesus was threatened, overwhelmed, or needed space, He’d make His way to a quiet place to pray. While in the moment I may not have realized that the Spirit was leading me, I later recognized a holy moment that was taking place.
At a time when I was in need, I listened to that small stir within me. Instead of ignoring what I was feeling, I gave myself permission to find a quiet place. In David’s book of Psalms, he sings out these verses, knowing that when we are going through change, Jesus is there to help us along the way.
“He lets me rest in green meadows;
He leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along the right paths,
bringing honor to his name.”
Jesus is a master traveler through times of change. I’ve seen firsthand His wisdom comfort me in challenge and guide me through changes in my life I never thought I’d never return from the same.
Without fail, His guidance remained, building my resilience to the crushing weight of significant change.
Finding Your Quiet Place
By the waterside is where I find my quiet place. I’ll stare out at the horizon in front of me. I’ll walk if there is a beach. I’ll let the wildlife around me do all the talking.
It can be for 5 minutes or multiple hours at a time. A few moments in a quiet place can do a lot for our mind.
Where is your quiet place? Where do you go when you think you have hit your capacity for what life’s throwing your way?
How to Get There:
- Find somewhere that is an easy commute.
- A local park, open field, trail, waterside, etc.
- This is where you go to calm your mind.
- No other agenda other than to sit or walk in quiet
- There are no distractions.
- Don’t invite the friend group or knock out some errands
- Invite Jesus to join you.
- Notice God in the nature around you, talk with Him, etc.
My hope is that you find time this week to seek out your quiet place. Become so familiar with it that your soul draws you there naturally when the rest of you grows weary.
May the calm of Jesus wash over you through any change you are experiencing!
Peace, peace, peace.
Makenna Curtis
Local Pulse Community Writer
Holy Moments
