Monday, January 07, 2013

Processing Quiet


The thoughts you've all shared on quiet this past week, emails I've received and just my own pondering of this have had my thoughts swirling about quiet.

A few thoughts I've had in the process:

* Several have mentioned the inner quiet, separated from the external circumstances and noises that we cannot always control. I think this is key for me, and have found I can walk out of Wal-Mart feeling quiet or leave a little friend's birthday party and feel quieted for the lovely conversation with a friend during. Learning to find this inner quiet is so important I think, because it doesn't depend on ideal circumstances which is what I (and perhaps many of us?) hope to achieve.

* Clutter screams at me and robs me of quiet. On one of those days where I say, "I'm about to scream" ~ I actually do. Not at anyone, just at one more pile of misplaced or overflowing stuff. And, yes, I've been cleaning out around here and it is a wonderful thing!



* Several of you mentioned nature and I was thinking on our long car ride home how just looking out the window made me feel quiet. This is similar to the first star, but the music was on, chatter was going and I was in my own little world feeling quiet and enjoying the scenery God created. There are positives and negatives to learning to tune things out - but in at least some realm, I do think it is helpful for the quiet loving mama.

* Being up in the morning before everyone else in a quiet house was also mentioned several times and this is another big one for me. I think I look for little pockets of quiet - for example, right after a meal, my children play really well together. I don't know what it is, but I've watched it over and over - perhaps that content feeling from a good meal? So, I usually let them and know those are some of my pockets of time to be quiet and go about my work. But, back to the morning, I have found that if I am up before my children, it makes such a difference. Ideally, I love one hour to just get ready for the day - before our trip, it seemed everyone was up earlier and earlier and it was getting harder and harder for me to carve out this time each morning. So far since coming home, they have slept in a little - oh, may it continue!

More to come, I'm sure - thanks for sharing your thoughts as well I have enjoyed reading your quiet thoughts!

3 comments:

Leanne said...

I, too, get up early to have those "pockets" of quiet. I have also learned that nothing sabatoges my quiet like be disorganized, clutter, and doing "silly" things- like eating to much junk or not getting enough sleep! I think there are times when God interrupts our quiet in His Sovereignty and times we sabatoge our quiet with our "junk"!
I love these posts, Monica!! thank you for sharing your heart!

Wendi said...

I am happy to hear you are learning to find quiet within the ordinary flow of life. I find that I find the most joy those unexpected moments.

*carrie* said...

N1 and N2 play better after supper than any other time.

This was a morning when I got up at the same time as the kids and it does not get the day started on the right foot!