In the Stillness
At first light, my eyes flutter open
I fight against dawn’s rays and roll over
The sun’s milky beam finds its way between the blinds
And I curl up closer and cocoon myself under the blankets.
First light, new day, a quiet awakening
In the stillness, I lay neither ready or prepared for what’s to come that day.
I’m a creature of habit and each new beginning requires a gentle start and time to prepare
I believe a slow transition into the new day is always better
I hold tight to the tradition of allowing myself to ease into whatever the day holds – busyness will come soon enough.
My thoughts begin to form in the stillness
The quiet fills my heart with God’s peace
I embrace the peace and permit the memories of yesterday to connect with all that will happen today.
In the stillness, I find God, hold His truth and open myself to reaching for the day.
This time of Advent is a time of heart work. God calls me to stillness because it is the place He knows I will find Him. I realize that when I take the time to invite God into my day and especially into its very beginning, I focus on His truth. My framework for the day is focused outward because God filled me with what I needed during the quiet.
This Advent season as I sit between the now and the not yet, I crave the quiet. My mind can easily grab the clutter that I am trying to release. I love the in-between because of the expectancy and prayer for hope that forms on my lips.
[Tweet “I seek quiet during this season between the now & not yet.With arms wide open Jesus meets me.”]
The intentional stillness is new for me. I find my mind wandering before I even fully quiet myself. God calls me deeper still and it is there I meet Him.
I begin to ask questions, hoping for answers but happy to know the question is lingering out there for me and others.
How will I posture myself as I sit in the waiting? Will I use the time to uncover hidden treasure or remain as I am? Do I choose the dark or invite the Light into the dark recesses of my heart? Is Christ always welcome or a quick blip on my daily radar?
I turn to Mary, the mother of Jesus, to gain perspective and it is there I hear these words:
But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19
The moments after Jesus was born became snapshots in her mind that she stored away for the future. The visit by the shepherds and the three wise men filled her heart and foreshadowed the greatness that was to be.
I think again and wonder if, in my quiet time, I treasure all the blessings God grants me. Do I take the gifts that are mine to have and sit with God to learn how to best use them for others? Will I allow God to unwrap the treasures He has for me and set them free to honor Him?
Advent gives us the time for this holy work. Preparing for a hope-filled coming leads us straight to the heart of who Christ made us be. New life blended with the love of a Savior brings us to the manger on Christmas morning.
My prayer for all is to let God lead us through the busyness to the heart of who we are in Him. In the waiting, in the stillness may we sit with arms wide open ready to receive. And may our days allow us time to worship and praise God for all the treasures He has in store for us.
Waiting in hope!
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“God calls me to stillness because it is the place He knows I will find Him.” I crave the quiet too. It can be difficult to seek it at times, but I know I will find joy and peace there. Have a blessed Christmas, Mary!
“In the stillness, I find God, hold His truth and open myself to reaching for the day.” Thank you for this reminder, Mary. I have lately just reached from my phone when I wake up, but that’s not really a good way to start the day. I used to wake up and just say good morning to God and thank Him for the rest I had. That’s not hard to do so I’m going to try to start that again. I’m going to be more intentional about making my first thoughts about God and asking Him to guide me through the day how best to serve Him.
Blessings to you, dear Mary! xo
Ah, what a beautiful post to read right after my morning time with God :). I just finished studying Psalm 119–and talk about embracing God and his laws! Verse after verse of how David loves God’s laws and meditates on his precepts. Wouldn’t life be so much better if we followed David’s example and got rid of ourselves and spent more time contemplating the order and justness of God’s commands?
Mary, what a great post. The beauty and the peace that comes through your words helps me breathe more deeply. And this?
“My prayer for all is to let God lead us through the busyness to the heart of who we are in Him.”
I love this prayer. I’m taking it. I want to go deeper with Jesus in these days leading up to Christmas (and beyond!). And I want to remember who God has made me to be in Him.
I hope your Christmas is glorious, peaceful, and filled with the joy of family.
This is absolutely beautiful, Mary. Every word. How I long for stillness these days. I’m so sick of the busyness I allow this season to drag me away with. Your words have truly inspired me, my friend. I need to rethink my plans for the next few weeks and work on this intentional stillness you speak of :). Thank you for that incredibly important attitude adjustment!
I love how God spoke to you through these words today. It is so easy to get caught up in the busyness of the season. I have intentionally chosen to slow down the last few years. I am not perfect at it but overall feel less stress this season than in years past. I pray God brings you peace as you seek to grow still in His presence.
I love this, Mary. That same verse of Mary pondering in her heart has been in my heart these last few days. I long to do the same. Such a great question to ask ourselves – “Is Christ always welcome or a quick blip on my daily radar?” I crave the quiet with Jesus, but sometimes the uninvited enemy invades the peace with his lies. But God reigns and He again and again routs out the enemy and helps me to discern between His truth and the lies the enemy taunts me with. I pray with you that we may prepare for “a hope-filled coming” that “leads us straight to the heart of who Christ made us be.” Thank you for these encouraging, hope-filled reflections! Love and hugs to you!
How good of God to give us both the same verse to reflect upon. Spending time in quiet with God does make us more susceptible to the enemy wanting to break up our time with God. But the more we lean into God and listen to His truth the more we discern His voice from the enemies voice.
I am glad you are joining me in prayer for a hope-filled coming that leads us to Christ and who He says we are. I am blessed by your kind words and your sweet presence here. Love and hugs!
Stillness has been God’s work in me throughout this whole year–and I have so much more to learn. I loved this line from your poem: “The sun’s milky beam finds its way between the blinds” such a sweet description as the day dawns. Thank you for sharing these good thoughts during the midst of this Season! Blessings to you!
Your presence here is a sweet blessing. I can just imagine all that you have learned this past year as you have leaned into God in the stillness. Thank you for the kind words about my poem. It is a high compliment since you are such a beautiful poet. Blessings on your week!
This is beautiful, Mary. I love that verse about Mary storing things up and pondering them in her heart. We definitely need to be intentional about seeking stillness if we want to find it in this busy season.
I love how Mary did not overthink things. But she treasured the moments that God gave her. What a gift! May we all seek God intentionally each and every day. Blessings to you!
Intentional stillness is hard for me. I always seem to think I need to be productive. But I know God calls me to merely be in His presence, listening for His voice, praising Him for who He is, telling Him my thoughts, struggles, and joys. I try to do this throughout the day, stopping to take a breath and acknowledge God in the ordinary, and slowly, I manage to be still more often.
I’m with you. After a week of working hard to be still, I still struggle. Maybe I am too hard on myself and need to think about it more like you. Taking time throughout the day to pause and give thanks or listen for God’s voice might be more manageable for me. Thank you for sharing this.
May we continue to pause and seek God throughout each day.
Wonderful thoughts!
I went to bed last night with the same kind of intentionality – instead of reading, which is my usual established habit, I just got in bed and closed my eyes, savoring the quiet and the peace after a full day.
Blessings to you as you lean into this time of in between.
I love your willingness to try something new at bedtime. I am a reader at bedtime too. I imagine the quiet you allowed for yourself was a beautiful gift. You will have to let me know if you try this again. I’m wondering how God will use this time to speak to you?? Let me know!