Tag Archives: spiritual journeys

Enjoying the Peace and Quiet

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One comment I often get since we moved out to the country is “Oh, you must be enjoying the peace and quiet so much”. And I am not sure how to answer that. It certainly is quiet. A different kind of quiet. The first few days you could actually “hear” the quiet. You can’t explain it until you’ve experienced it. Like labour pains. We have gotten used to the sound now. Or what people think is quiet. Nature has its own ebb and flow. Cows don’t have a curfew. Crows and jays are early risers. School buses and diesel trucks are not exactly quiet when they travel by. But sure, I’ll give you quiet.

Throwback to December 2019…another thought on Peace

Peaceful. Now there is another muse. What exactly does that mean? I’ve written about peace before. We talk about it. Peace after war. A sense of calm. A thought process to relieve your anxiety. A tranquil moment in nature. People find it on top of a mountain or at some yoga retreat. I think the definition is slightly different for everyone. Maybe it’s different for the same person at different times. Peace. What does it mean for you?

I took this picture the other day at the top of my farmhouse stairs. It was the moment I had been dreaming about. The sun was streaming in through the widow’s balcony (I actually heard the explanation for that yesterday so it’s gonna be my new name for it), and the fluffy, pretty cat was all curled up on the antique chair at the top of the wooden Victorian staircase. A picture of perfect peace.

Or is it? How do you explain a feeling? How do you describe an emotion that may be different for each one of us? How do you capture the thought of an experience that may change depending on where you are in your life journey? Very recently I was chatting with a friend who’s loved one was in the final throws of his servant filled life here on earth. She tells me that they were praying that the Lord would take him so that he would finally be at peace. I’ve heard many prayers for the same thing. An end to suffering. I, too, have called out to God on more than one occasion, questioning why He would let this or that go on for so long? We crave peace. We crave it for ourselves. We crave it for those we love. We even crave it for those we don’t know. We watch the news or hear reports of some cruelty and we cry out for peace. For justice. For an end to suffering.

My kids tease me that I end up blubbering at movies where this emotion is stirred up within me. Usually it’s about a creature. I know, I know, human beings should take on more of a precedence than that faithful dog, but I can somehow explain away the suffering of people. Oh, they did something to deserve it. Oh, they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Oh, where were their mothers? They likely had a bad upbringing. That cute puppy is innocent though! I’m wrong in my justifications, of course. God did not design suffering. He did design consequences to sin, but they shouldn’t explain away why innocent people have to endure some of the hardships we do. The whole earth is on a collision course with affliction and lack of peace because of the darkness that entered the World with Adam and Eve.

So, yeah, as I sit here with my laptop perched on a straw bale (It’s part of my sad attempt at fall porch decorations) with the dog laying at my feet, I’m tempted to say I am enjoying the peace and quiet. The crisp air is casually swaying the lilac bushes and the crickets are still humming. All too soon though, the “silence” is broken by the call of a noisy blue jay, followed by a school bus rumbling by on its way back from drop offs. The dog barks at it, my writing momentum is broken as my attention shifts and chaos resumes. Our weak and feeble minds don’t hold onto the “peace that passes all understanding” for very long.

Denali National Park Photo by Kent Miller NPS

I’m comforted to know that the anxieties and worries and the constant brain battles we face were not the original plan. We pray for peace because we know that God in His infinite wisdom made it to be the norm. We crave it and it renews us because He made it part of our being. And it will come again one day when it all gets “reset”. Until then, I promise to share little glimpses of it that I see here on Itsnotta farm and mittonmusings. There will be chaos, crazy, death, destruction and suffering too. Although, I wish you peace this week, my friend. Whatever that looks like for you, I hope you see it and take the time to thank the One who designed it that way. May it calm the mayhem in your brain and give you a glimpse of Heaven. Peace and quiet. Now there’s a concept.

You Gotta Go Through it

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Oh beloveds! It has been way too long!! I have missed you. Where were we? Since we’ve chatted, I married off a son, gained a daughter-in-law, sent another one off to University and survived a week of extroverted activities. The old house officially sold, we entered high school and struggled with some very early morning catch- the- school- bus- or- else dramas. And then, of course, I promptly got sick. That was short-lived, though. So many things have happened, the weeks have been a blur of days, one on top of the other, piled so high that it feels like I have trudged through a mound of apple pie filling. (I don’t know, I felt like I needed some turning of fall reference. Long live pumpkin spice everything!)

Yet, here we are!! I guess I am not a very good blogger. True social media influencers would have documented all of the above, with flair. Sorry, you get me and my little piece of the internet. I’m hoping you still feel me. I am sure I am not alone in these crazy seasons of life where you just feel like it’s a bowl of chocolate pudding. Have you been there, my friend? I hear ya. Shout out to the tired momma of little ones. Shout out to the worried mom of teenagers. Hats off to the grandparents who juggle their own mortality with the lives of their adult children and the prayers for the next generation. It’s hard. Really hard.

Many moons ago, I wrote about a similar season (check it out here). I was reminded then, as I am now, that everyone needs a break now and then. What I didn’t know then was Covid was about to hit, my kids would grow and grow up, my home would be sold, and I would leave everything I know for a new adventure. Oh beloveds, I don’t even know how to express it on paper. The emotional rollercoaster of life. And I really have no excuse to complain. Many, oh so many others have struggled much deeper than I through life. We have been blessed in abundance. I count those blessings often. Sometimes you just gotta get it out though. So… I am back with this week’s musings after a short hiatus to gather content. 😉

I read something somewhere about these “recoup” moments and they referenced Elijah in 1st Kings. His enemies surrounded him, he’d been trying hard to live for God, doing good work, but life and the world seemed to be closing in on him like a thick coating of toffee on an old fashioned Christmas pudding. So what did he do? He took a nap. Had a snack. Had one more snack for good measure, and then he was ready for the next long journey ahead. He walked in the wilderness and had a quiet moment alone with God. We are allowed moments of refreshment, by God’s design. I’m comforted to know that God’s got our backs in these seasons of busyness. He knows that sometimes we just need a nap and a snack and a quiet moment with Jesus. I’m here for it. And for some reason, I’m craving a good sticky pudding…

Blessings to you!

It’s All in the Details…

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My goodness! Where has the time gone?! With a family vacation, and an upcoming wedding, and moving in and adjusting to “all the new” it’s a good thing I am currently unemployed… there’s been no time to work! Some days I feel like I have been juggling a thousand things but none have been accomplished. It can be frustrating. How does one manage it all without getting stressed? As I age, I have been learning to write all the details down. Anyone else? Often, it’s all in the details… and so the muse for the week.

Despite the busyness, I have noticed how many little things are ever-so-present in life. One of the big ones out here in the country are the insects! We are fighting the wasps and house flies constantly. The hubby is repeatedly complaining about the mosquitoes. Seriously. All. The. Time. Mosquitos. We also have a resident spider on the front porch which has been a unique source of entertainment. She lives in our Yucca plant and is huge.

Our Reminder of “the little things”

We think she’s a she because she is big and bold. Apparently, these common yellow garden spiders are also known as zipper spiders because they have these thick zipper patterns at the base of their webs. (You can’t see it in my bad photo but it’s there!) I have had the unique opportunity to watch her capture and devour several prey… including one of those pesky wasps! Fascinating. Even if you are not a fan of spiders… one must appreciate their ability to paralyze their prey and wrap them for later use – a process that takes about 30 seconds flat. I wish my grocery shopping was that quick. Like I said: detailed.

I’ve also had the pleasure of being attacked by several plant species in our brush. One must respect a creature who cannot move and yet is able to defend itself with thorns, stinging nettles or “share” their wealth with sticky little burrs. Nature is cool. God is super creative and thought of every little detail.

My sweater after a little walk outside… tiny details!

And so I muse. Not only about the tiniest of details I see around me, but about what kind of little things am I doing to enrich the world I live in? Some of ya’ll are good at those little details… the party has just the right amount of fine details to make it perfect: a place card, a flower vase, a touch of this or that. That cute garden gnome tucked in among the wildflowers. A painted rock with inspiration left on the beach during lockdown. An encouraging note for someone who needs it. A never ending prayer list of names and their individual needs.

You and I both know how important the fine details are. Sometimes they are absolutely needed… like in a recipe or pattern. If the details are lost, your final product just won’t turn out right. Your efforts will be in vain. Other times the details make things just a bit nicer. A dab of whipped cream. A scented candle. Little things just because you care. Other times being aware of the little things save you from trouble. Topping up on fuel – or bug spray, makes all the difference!

Have you tapped in to all the richness of the fine details God has blessed us with lately? Do we take the time to add them in to our plans or are we too busy to care? Would they make your life easier? Would they enrich someone else’s soul? Trust me, it takes effort. Disciplines often do. Yet, I think God gave us nature’s little quirks to remind us that He’s all about the details. And we should be too. I’ll miss my little spider come winter, but for now I will cherish her company. And her prowess. And take the cue to be all about the little things.