I’m not 100% sure why, but more and more I find myself craving times of silence, stillness and solitude. Now if you mention this to my wife Tammy, she will laugh when I put my name, and the words silence and stillness in the same sentence. According to her I am not a quiet man. I breathe too loud. I drink and eat too loud. I don’t know how to relax.  I don’t sit still and constantly fidget when we watch TV together. I’m always moving she claims and making weird noises.

She says I even make noise when holding my paper Starbucks coffee cup. 🙂 That part might be true because I do play with the cardboard sleeve on the cup. And when I finish, I take the outer sleeve off, fold it up, and tear it into tiny pieces before discarding the cup. It’s therapeutic! My friend Tom and I have this thing about making sure the cup logo, sleeve logo and the lid opening all line up perfectly. He doesn’t fold and tear up the cardboard like I do though. I can’t help but wonder if I’m actually quieter than my wife thinks, and she simply has the superpower of hearing.

I really am learning the value of and embracing the discipline of taking time to be still, silent and desire to lead a quieter life. To experience rest and life balance, silence, stillness, and solitude are essential. Being quiet and having times of solitude provide much needed times for meditation, reflection, and making needed lifestyle adjustments. It allows us to recalibrate, reset and rejuvenate our lives. These respites provide the environment and opportunity to realign and fine tune our lives physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

Let’s face it, ours is a noise filled, cluttered, chaotic world.  The battle for a more tranquil and serene lifestyle seems nearly impossible to win. Silence and stillness are hard to come by and requires a relentless pursuit. But it’s worth it. I’d like to encourage you to set aside regular time each day to simply be quiet and still. Learn to cultivate times of silence and solitude. Make it a habit. Put it on your schedule. Find a quiet place. A great practice is to go for a nice leisurely walk. Find a nearby park or nature trail. Whatever it takes, make it your goal to live a simpler quieter life.

The book of Psalms contains multiple verses that speak of being quiet, still, and silent. “Be still and know that I am God.”  “Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him.” “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.”  “I have calmed and quieted my soul… hope in the Lord from this time on and forevermore. And in 1^st Thessalonians 4:11 the writer pens these words, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life.

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