Lost in the Quietness

Man, my life was out of control! Late to bed and early to rise, rushing through every morning ritual, including my quiet time with God.  No time for breakfast, barely time for coffee.  Hurrying out the door for work, where most days the pace never let up. Quickly leaving work to make my way to the gym for a swift workout before I found myself tangled in some other obligation or responsibility.  What had I done to myself?  Did I even know myself?

Have you ever felt that if the Earth didn’t quit spinning you would fall off?  I did… It was spinning too rapidly for me to keep up. I wanted it to stop…  I wanted off this manic ride.  I wanted to collapse on a shore where I could once again find my breath.  I wanted to stand on a mountain where my thoughts were as clear as the air.  I wanted to walk down a path that led beside still waters.  I wanted to look up into the night sky long enough to get lost among the stars and planets, swallowed up by its vast magnitude.

Those were days I felt like the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland singing: “I'm late!  I'm late! For a very important date.  No time to say "Hello."  Goodbye.  I'm late, I'm late, I'm late.” But, where was I going and why?  Lost in the busyness of life, did I ever take time to enjoy the moment of NOW?  To breathe deeply the beauty of each moment – in spite of the circumstances I faced.  Looking deeply into the eyes of the person I was talking to and really listening to what they were and weren’t saying; to embrace the one that desperately needed a hug regardless of what time it was; to celebrate with abandon the good fortune of another; to escape into the stillness of the sunset by turning my phone off or stopping to breathe in the smell of the flowers at the grocery store instead of rushing past without so much as a glance…

This journey has reminded me to dance within each moment I have been given.  You see, I only have now, THIS moment…   And what do I choose to do with it?  It is my choice, and yours too.  It is my choice to stop and feel the sand between my toes; to place my hands on a rock that was created a million years ago and contemplate all that it has seen and witnessed; to close my eyes and listen to the wind blowing through the trees, allowing them the opportunity to dance with abandonment for all to see; to create laughter; and to accept each person for the divinely beautiful creation that they are – just as they are.  The power of THIS moment alters my thoughts and fills my heart with gratitude and joy.

Quieting myself - from the doing, going, rushing - has become an act of will.  For many, many years I operated at a pace that was toxic for my soul, spirit and physical body.  Embracing the quietness within each moment brings harmony to my life.  It is something I deeply desire - to be connected to all that God has created.  

Today, the beauty of life unfolds as I remember Who I Am ... And, I can only be Who I Was Created To Be as I continue to slow down long enough to know myself.  


-Cheryl