WHEN ISOLATION is GOOD for YOU

  A tree is not only a tree, it is a gift, a miracle, and a delight from God.

 

 SOLITUDE IS GOOD FOR YOUR SOUL 

Your soul partakes of the beauty found in quietness.

 
We may not like being in isolation, having so much time away from others, but the simple ways have extra benefits in unseen ways. 

We hear better when we aren't so busy or distracted.

When we take moments of quiet reflection while in-tune with God, nature, and our surroundings, God creates something extraordinarily beautiful in us. God's presence speaks peace, love, and truth to all who seek Him.

To live simply is good for a person. I read about a young man who left his well-to-do family to join a monastery. Through this he learned the value of having less. He speaks about it to others.

The young man was a participant in the monastery for almost two years. He found what it is to soak in the light of God’s presence. He took that practice with him back to the outside.

There are times now when he finds himself staring at a tree, contemplating in the silence. Rarely is he angry. He is a changed person; he’s at peace on the inside. This presence is a gift to his soul.

What do we make of such a thing? He tasted something sweet that endures within him. His inner being absorbed meaning as it gave life to his soul. Something lasting in beauty took hold in him.

Those who meditate become aware of peaceful presence. Their mind, spirit, and soul partake of meaning beyond the physical. A tree is not only a tree, it a gift, a miracle, and a delight from God.

Seeing the sublime in the ordinary changes the ordinary into something extraordinary. Take a wildflower, for instance. Look at its intricate lines, its magnificent hue and its delicate design.

Let the simple overwhelm and you will go away changed in your sensitivities.

BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS

 KINDNESS . LOVE . PEACE

Where do we get kindness from? Where do we get love from? Where do we get peace from? We could say they originate in us, but the answer is incomplete. We could say they just are, but the answer is incomplete.

We could say they originate in God, then we'd have the true answer.

Love, kindness, peace speak their truth wherever they may be found. Those whose lives are full of love, kindness, and peace show remarkable facility for caring, giving, and gentleness. I love how these individuals demonstrate in their beings (without saying it) their walk with God.

My grandma walked with God. Her very essence exuded love, kindness, and peace. In the midst of distress, sorrow and suffering Grandma's inner light still continued to glow. She had worries, yes, but the Source of peacefulness lived within her, the light of life, the Lord Jesus.

Grandma trusted God, and He took care of her.

What made my grandma into the faithful servant she became? I assume it was because she chose to trust in God. She also had a dear neighbor friend. They prayed together and supported each other, especially when the burdens were heaviest.

Grandma prayed and talked to God as she gardened. She told me it was while she was gardening that she felt closest to God. Her spiritual garden grew at the same time. In it she cultivated kindness, love, and peace. Her garden grew as it was nurtured by her Father God and her own careful tending. Over the years she harvested crop after crop of kindness, love, and peace. All who knew her were blessed when they were in her presence.

Like Grandma, we all can grow in kindness, love, and peace and harvest a bumper crop of blessings.

A Silence that Empowers - Inspiration 36

 Experience Quiet in a World of Unrest

 Finding God in the Daily

 Blessed is the man
    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, 

nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water 

that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.

Psalm 1:1-3  ESV

Spiritual life is not that easy. It faces fear just like the rest of the world does. However, time spent in the stillness accesses the quietness of peace found in God's presence. Being alone with God is a spiritual discipline that develops intimacy with God. Peace is its reward.

HOW TO BE QUIET in a world of unrest is in a state of being. Those who know Christ as their Savior and maintain close fellowship with Him are able to center themselves in Him. This is cultivated as one matures in their spiritual relationship. Quietness is facilitated through times alone with God without the demands of outside influences. The Holy Spirit ministers with wisdom, grace, and understanding. In the quiet place it is easier to be still enough to enter the peacefulness of presence with God. The person slows down everything else to listen and commune in a close intimate way. Elijah heard God's still, small voice when he needed it most. He drew strength from God and the courage to go on. We can too. God doesn't act like a magician, He doesn't remove the fear or unrest. Instead, God gives the wherewithal to help minimize the effects of stress caused by the unrest around you. His presence buoys your spirit up. He ministers in the internal place in the person where the fear would rage if it was left to do so. Seek God in the stillness. Rest in His Presence. Like the tree by the river, be filled with what God gives. Angst and fear lessens in the context of presence and strength found in the peace of God.

Dear Father God, Blessed we are to sit at Your table, partake of Your bounty, and center ourselves in Your peace. You promise us peace, "Peace I leave with you, not of the world give I unto you." Praises. Amen

To God be the Glory

Be Kind -- Inspiration 16

Be Kind to One Another

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, 
as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:32

BE KIND to one another, scripture says. Why do we need to be told to be kind? Maybe it is like a strong way of directing attention with softness to it. Kindness is a virtue. A virtue has a moral quality in its essence. A child is told to be kind to their sibling, a student to their peer. In this case, the Christian to another Christian. The saying of it stresses the importance of it. Be kind, tender hearted, forgiving, like Christ has forgiven you. Christ is the ultimate example. That is the best reason of them all. Unselfish, other-focused, the very act in itself, being kind, blesses the other person. To be kind effects goodness. Goodness, in turn, enriches. This benefits those in the relationship. Directed to the Christian, it is meant to impact their interactions with each other personally and in the assembly. Healthy actions are cultivated and they are the expectation. God would have us to be kind to one another to kindle right attitudes that promote regard and respect. To be kind is a practice and a purposed action. God asks this of us. Mixed with tenderhearted forgiveness, it's a winning combination to promote harmony,  unity, and peace.

Father God, sometimes I fail. Help me to be like Christ. May I be kind in word and deed. Help me to rein it in when self-centerdness gets the upper hand.  Take charge of my mouth. Rewire my way of thinking into being a little tool in Your hand by being kind to those I meet on my everyday path.

 

To God be the Glory