I have always needed a certain amount of peace and quiet to think and sort out my thoughts. Being the youngest and only girl with three older brothers usually meant that everywhere in the house was noisy, busy, and at times hostile to the female mindset.
One of my favorite haunts as a teenager was the cemetery down the street. Although some might consider that odd, it had several good points. I could get there on my bike. I could bring books and sit on the tombstones and read. I didn’t worry about people bothering me or interrupting me. My parents had always taught me that the bodies buried there did not hold the souls, so the usual reasons for avoiding cemeteries did not seem to apply to me.
Peace and Quiet with God
Another of my favorite places growing up was my grandparents’ house. We usually visited them for a week in the summertime. So I would awaken to a new day with fresh air blowing in from outdoors, the sun shining, and anticipation for fun. I always found their home to be a haven—a place where my mother had grown up. A place prayer was part of every breakfast. It was a place where love and acceptance permeated every wall, floor, and ceiling. It was a place I could think, a place that felt safe.
These days, I find quiet places somewhat hard to find. My home is a place filled with responsibilities and chores vying for my attention. I spend my days at work and my nights promising myself I will do one chore before bedtime. So when I find myself unexpectedly waiting with nothing I can do, those are the times when I have quiet.
Waiting means time to hear from God
These places range from the doctor’s office to just parked somewhere, waiting. Sometimes I am in a store, and once I was locked out of my car, and I was waiting for a locksmith outside my office. I always try to have paper and a pen to write down thoughts that come to me. It is in those moments when my life comes to an abrupt halt that God speaks to me.
Jesus got up and went to a secluded place to pray. And Jesus asks us to find a quiet, secluded place to pray.
Mark 1:35 While it was still night, way before dawn, he got up and went out to a secluded spot and prayed.
Matthew 6:6 “Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.
Where do you feel safe, quiet, and peaceful?
Where can you stop and think? Where do you go when you need to hear God?
