Lamentations 3:22-23
“It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord…
to sit alone in silence when the Lord has imposed it…”
There is a quietness in this reading. It is filled with the assurances that God is present and wants to be part of our lives. Quietness allows us to recognize God’s presence, God’s faithful help and compassion.
In 2009, we worked at the Holden Bed and Breakfast situated along the shores of Lake Chelan in Washington State. It is a place where we experience peacefulness and joy that is different from “the world out there!”
At the B&B, we did very ordinary things, even old-fashioned activities. For instance, I would wash the linens from the beds the guests used the night before. These I would hang up on lines strung outdoors. I still recall the birds flitting about, perhaps chasing a hawk, and the wind gently blowing, the early morning dew still on the grass below my feet.
We carefully pulled weeds from the gardens with newly planted seeds of zinnias and marigolds. I baked bread for the next morning’s breakfast and washed the dishes left behind. Even cleaning the rooms, bathrooms, and corridors provided silence and time to communicate with God.
God calls us to quietness. It is gift from God—a choosing to be silent as if we are holding our breath to listen. Quietness waits and is still, allowing us to become so much more aware of life and air and God. And in that silence, our heart sings, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases/his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning...great is thy faithfulness, O God.”
Finding time to experience quietness and the presence of God in the everydayness of life, can bring new awareness of the wonder of God. It allows the difficulties of the tasks before us, the God-given ministry we are doing, to become bearable, even enjoyable. In the silence, our heart sings to God.
Prayer: Silence my thoughts, my mind, my whole being, God. In the quietness of your presence, help me to see and hear more clearly your purpose for my life. Amen.