The corn stalks are quiet and salute the setting sun as I walk the powdery dirt path I knew as a child. There’s always something about returning home that calms me, and I’m quiet and take it all in.
The birds fly overhead and the sunflowers stand tall.
The bees work hard to gather water from the creek bank.
And the tree branches glory in the light.
I miss the quiet.
My life races and runs, and most days gets away from me. One hour rolls into the next and the minutes slip right past. Most days I try to grab them and make them slow, but my efforts are futile.
And it’s no wonder I’m restless and unsettled, stressed and undone. It’s no surprise why I’m unglued and on edge.
I need the quiet.
And even when my external chaos ceases and I’m left to my own self … even when my surroundings are quiet, it’s still not quiet. And that’s when my real battle for quiet begins.
My internal self takes over with its correcting and bossing, and slings shoulds and woulds and coulds straight my way. It tells me of what I did wrong and what I failed to do right. It reminds me of what I didn’t accomplish and what I forgot to do. It’s silent all around me but I’m not quiet at all.
And this is the part of life that exhausts me. This is the unrealistic expectations I set on my own self that escalate the chaos and prevent my heart from being quieted. My own heart is the obstacle to the quiet in my life. And that is what has to change in me.
And it changes when I spend time with Him. When I take those internal conversations and stop the lies by captivating my thoughts and making them obey what He says.
Because He says I’m His. He says I’m enough. He says He created me and He knows me. He sees all I do and knows all I think. And even still, He says He loves me.
Regardless of what I accomplish.
Regardless of how I fail.
No matter what I think, or what I say, or how I feel at all, He says His mercy is new every moment for me, and it’s new for you too. No matter what those internal voices say.
He says He loves ME.
And friend, He loves you too. So much more than we know.
And He’s waiting … waiting for us in those loud moments to surrender our internal chaos to Him too, and let His great love soak into us deep.
The dirt bathes my feet as I walk and the birds circle without a care in the world. I watch the cornstalks bend and surrender to the wind and I marvel at the persistence of the bees to stop their work and drink when they’re thirsty.
I want to walk with Him, surrender to Him, and drink from the living water that never runs dry.
He loves me, and He promises to quiet me with His love.
Jacque
The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love… Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)
What is it in your life that keeps you from the quiet?
How has His love changed you?
I’m joining Lisa-Jo, over at her site today, to take five fifteen minutes today…and just write without worrying if it’s just right or not. The challenge is to write for 5 minutes flat with no editing, tweaking or self critiquing, with the prompt she gives. And today, her prompt:
Quiet…
Your photography is beautiful. It’s so true how our minds often disrupt our quiet, but God’s peace can blanket us.
I’m definitely one of those people…I tend to dive into the chaos of life without coming up for air. Such a good reminder that He’s the one Who does the quieting. I’m always reminded of His love when He stops me and slows me down. Such beautiful words…thank you for sharing! Be blessed today. 🙂
What a beautiful Five Minute Friday offering and gorgeous pictures as well.
I love this; “My own heart is the obstacle to the quiet in my life. And that is what has to change in me.”
Because it is so true for me too. It is why “Be still and know I am God” is so hard. It isn’t the “Knowing He is God” it is the being still – to the core.
So nice to think of our breakfast a couple of weeks ago. So glad we had that chance to talk.
Blessings!
Glory! God’s creation in photography and His creative poetry in your words re: Quiet. True!
Thank you, Emily! Resting in His peace right with you 🙂
Mel, thank you for coming by and for blessing me with your sweet words!
Oh Stacey, I too am so thankful we were able to sit and eat and chat in real life…what a blessing and inspiration you are, and I’m giving thanks for you, for all you do, and for your visit here and your kind words to me! May your weekend be blessed!!
Thank you so much Shannon! Glory indeed!!
“Even when my surroundings are quiet, it’s still not quiet.” Boy can I relate to that! I battle the inner voice too, and you’re right…it is completely exhausting. I am so thankful for His mercy toward us, and that He can quiet our hearts when we bring them to Him. Thank you for your words today..they blessed me.
Yes! So thankful for mercy and how He quiets our hearts. And I too, am thankful for you…your words really blessed me too!
I know that disquieted heart that continues to over-think, over-analyze, criticize itself and refuse to rest, even when the noise around me stops. Love…”my own heart is the obstacle to the quiet in my life.”
Well said!
Dear Jacque,
Beautifully written. Thank you for your transparency. May we fix our eyes on Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith. May we listen to Voice of Truth and tune of the lies of the enemy.
Thank you for sharing the beauty of home. Just looking at your pictures calms me as I gaze on the beauty of God’s creation.
In Christ…Susan
Hi Jaque
I oftentimes wonder how to get rid of that internal perfectionist. What an ugly slave master he can be!! I love your vulnerable transparency. Thanks.
Love to you
Mia
Dear Jacque,
What keeps me from the quiet? You articulated it perfectly with these words….
“even when my surroundings are quiet, it’s still not quiet. And that’s when my real battle for quiet begins.
My internal self takes over with its correcting and bossing, and slings shoulds and woulds and coulds straight my way.”
The external quiet doesn’t mean I can quiet my mind. So glad I’m not alone in feeling like this! I am so thankful for those times when He quiets my mind and I can focus on what really matters.
Love,
Laura
Thank you 🙂 May we let His love quiet those hearts within us!!
Susan, thank you for your sweet and kind words! And yes…fixing our eyes…steadfast.
Isn’t that the truth…slavemaster for sure! Learning with you, my friend, to break free!
You are SO not alone! And yes, I too am thankful how time with Him can refocus and recharge our hearts as we are fully quiet before Him. Blessings to you Laura!!
Oh, Jacque! For the love! This post sings and your pictures are incredible, and what you’ve written hear speaks so deeply to my heart. This resonates with my word for the year: abide. Thank you for this beautiful, centering post.
What beauty *you* write to me here. Yes, ABIDE. May it be so for us all is my prayer! SO thankful to God for meeting you, my friend!!