Charisa Stories

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  • Lessons from an Ancient Lockdown

    Lessons from an Ancient Lockdown

    Most of us have been “sheltered in place” for a month or longer. I think that 99.9 percent of us are ready to resume normal activities. Maybe that will happen soon but I do not want to miss any lessons that I can take forward after this uninvited isolation ends.

    I am going stir crazy after 30 days of limited socialization. I fight off frustration over a litany of truly minor inconveniences. And then I pick up my Bible and I read these extremely annoying words from Paul written from prison!

    I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. (Philippians 4:12-14, The Message)

    I could wrap this article up with that one thought. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who me makes me who I am.

    Wow.

    Backup a bit in his letter and we find that Paul is almost giddy that the prison thing has been an unexpected positive.

    I want to report to you, friends, that my imprisonment here has had the opposite of its intended effect. Instead of being squelched, the Message has actually prospered. All the soldiers here, and everyone else, too, found out that I’m in jail because of this Messiah. That piqued their curiosity, and now they’ve learned all about him. Not only that, but most of the followers of Jesus here have become far more sure of themselves in the faith than ever, speaking out fearlessly about God, about the Messiah. (Philippians 1:12-14, The Message)

    This is actually a little discouraging when I realize I am fighting despondency over toilet paper shortages. How can one learn to be content in prison? Why did Paul not remind God of the work he had accomplished? The churches he had planted. The men and women he had discipled faithfully. How could a loving God place him in such a circumstance near the end of his life? What is fair about this? The answer?

    Nothing.

    My lesson plan is to study how Paul prepared his heart to write his amazing message about contentment when circumstances dictated anything but that response. This letter is even more perfect for this season in our lives because Paul was forcibly separated from those believers he longed to visit and hug. The Romans sheltered him in place and Paul used his time to glorify God. Here are just a few of the steps Paul suggests to get us to the place where you and I can be content in whatever comes our way.

    1. Contentment starts with having the attitude of Jesus who gave up His divine privilege to serve.

    Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. (Philippians 2:3-4, NLT)

    2. Contentment starts with rejoicing in Christ.

    Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith. (Philippians 3:1, NLT)

    Paul didn’t say to rejoice when things are hunky-dory. He writes that no matter what happens we should rejoice.

    3. Contentment starts with pressing toward the goal in faith.

    I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.  No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (Philippians 3:12-14, NLT)

    4. Contentment starts with believing the promise that Jesus is with you.

    Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. (Philippians 4:6-7, The Message)

    It truly is wonderful if you can displace worry with Jesus. Not easy to be sure but so amazing when you turn your eyes on Him in times of sadness and stress.

    5. Contentment starts with your thoughts and attitude.

    And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8-9, NLT)

    I often overlook that the passage above is the lead-in to Paul’s incredible declaration of contentment. Here is how the Message relays it.

    I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

    These are challenging times. Many are suffering. But most of us are in a better place than Paul when he wrote this amazing letter of encouragement. The message to the church at Philippi is a pretty good place for me to learn a powerful lockdown lesson. I can be content in Christ no matter my circumstance.

  • Easter Song

    Easter Song

    I think of Keith Green every Easter week because he recorded one of my favorite songs about the power of the resurrection.

    What I loved most about Keith Green was his passion for Christ. Like many who came to faith during the Jesus movement Green was sold out to the Gospel.

    Every Easter week I listen to his recording of the Easter Song.

    Hear the bells ringing
    They’re singing that you can be born again
    Hear the bells ringing
    They’re singing Christ is risen from the dead

    The angel up on the tombstone
    Said He has risen, just as He said
    Quickly now, go tell his disciples
    That Jesus Christ is no longer dead

    Joy to the world, He has risen, hallelujah
    He’s risen, hallelujah
    He’s risen, hallelujah

    He is risen indeed. Keith Green experienced the resurrection power of Christ when he died in 1982. I sometimes wonder how his music might have changed as he matured in his faith. His journey just before his death offers a clue.

    After striving for years to measure up to God’s holiness, at times even questioning his own salvation, Keith came into a deeper understanding of the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross — both to forgive his sins, and to clothe him in His righteousness. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off of his chest.

    It wasn’t that Keith became less concerned with purity and holiness. But now he was more motivated by love and less by fear in His pursuit of Jesus. He learned so much more about God’s grace and the importance of pausing simply to behold His glory and enjoy His presence.

    Right there with you brother. Keith Green left an amazing legacy in just twenty-nine years and I believe the Easter Song is one of his most powerful recordings.

    Hear the bells ringing
    They’re singing that you can be healed right now
    Hear the bells ringing, they’re singing
    Christ, He will reveal it now

    The angel up on the tombstone
    Said He has risen, just as He said
    Quickly now, go tell his disciples
    That Jesus Christ is no longer dead

    Clarence Hall noted that “you can put truth in a grave, but it won’t stay there.” That was the message the angel gave to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary as they came to the tomb.

    Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.” The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. (Matthew 28, NLT)

    As Keith Green powerfully sang many years ago…

    The angel up on the tombstone
    Said He has risen, just as He said
    Quickly now, go tell his disciples
    That Jesus Christ is no longer dead

    Indeed!

  • The Worst Day of Peter’s Life

    The Worst Day of Peter’s Life

    There is much written about Good Friday. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross is incomprehensible to my puny human intellect. There is much written about Easter Sunday. Christians around the world rejoice and proclaim that “He is risen!”. But there is not nearly as much written about one of the saddest and most confusing days in history. The Saturday between the Friday horror of Jesus on the Cross and the Sunday mystery of the resurrection. Some churches do observe Holy Saturday but it was never a tradition in my faith upbringing.

    I have been thinking about what that day must have been like for those who dropped everything to follow Jesus. How crushing those events had to be. I imagine the fear they felt that they would also be killed. And for what? On Saturday they feared they had given their careers and their very souls for a false hope.

    I think in particular of Peter. I identify so much with him. Like him I throw down bold statements of loyalty to the Lord and then let Him down. Like him I draw attention to my own accomplishments instead of recognizing where my accomplishments come from. Like Peter I am a generally sincere but desperately needy follower of Jesus.

    You know the story about Peter before the arrest and mock trial of Jesus. Jesus tells Peter that he will deny him three times before the rooster crows at dawn. For many years I breezed by the setup to that prediction.

    “Simon (Peter), Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22, NLT)

    Jesus had already prayerfully pleaded for Peter to be used in a powerful and redemptive way before the failure, shame and repentance that Jesus knew was about to happen. Our sin does not take Jesus by surprise. Why does His grace and forgiveness surprise us?

    Like me, Peter did not hear the tender words of encouragement from the Lord. Nope. He blustered.

    “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you.”

    After the arrest of Jesus a suddenly less bold Peter followed the crowd. He denied to a servant girl that he knew Jesus. He denied his alliance to another bystander. The crushing sorrow and shame of what happened next is hard to fathom.

    About an hour later someone else insisted, “This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean, too.”

    But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.

    At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.

    I imagined what the expression might have been on the face of Jesus when He turned and looked. I suspect it was a look of sadness, compassion and longing to comfort His friend. But what Peter probably saw was only disappointment and failure. Peter’s tears likely flowed until they could no longer flow. I suspect it was hard to even breathe. His heart literally ached within his chest. His mind could not imagine any future hope. I wonder if he thought about running away or even ending it all. I wonder if he could think at all.

    That Saturday was one of the worst days in history and Peter may have felt the pain of that awful day more intensely than anyone. He did not know what would happen the next day. Peter did not yet understand what Jesus had been telling him.

    When Luke recounts that Jesus appeared to the Disciples the only one mentioned by name is Peter. What gives me hope this Easter season is the tender story of Jesus affirming and reinstating Peter to be a leader who would “feed His sheep”. That is the grace that changes a heart.

    I can betray Jesus. Ignore Him. Live selfishly. At some point I once again recognize my desperate need for Jesus to rescue me. For the one millionth time I turn to Him. And what happens? He lifts my shame bowed head and looks deeply into my eyes. He tells me how much He loves me. That is grace. That is real. That is love. Maybe I won’t have a day quite as bad as Peter on that horrible dark Saturday but his story of redemption encourages me this Easter season.

    Saturday was terrible. But Sunday was coming with the wonderful news that He is risen! He is risen for me! Jesus is pleading for me that my faith will not fail. What a joyous hope for all of us this Easter.

    Join me on a journey to become more connected to God and one another.

  • 21 Connect: Day 21 – Final Thoughts

    21 Connect: Day 21 – Final Thoughts

    Thanks to all who have joined me on this journey to become more connected to God and one another. This is a hard season for our country, the church, and for many who are reading this today.

    God does not promise that everything will be perfect. Far from it. You and I are pretty much guaranteed to have some degree of suffering; none of us gets out of this life unscathed.

    Here is what God does promise.

    He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)

    The idea of suffering for Christ does not get people to buy prayer cloths, miracle water, and books. However, God’s promise to shower me with comfort should give me confidence that I can make it through trials. I have had the opportunity to test this supernatural comfort after the death of our daughter, Katie, from a terminal birth condition, and during the cancer battle Joni fought and won. I can attest that His comfort is real and remarkable.

    God’s greatest promise of all is salvation to all who believe in His Son.

    I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” (Romans 1:16-17)

    God promised that I am secure forever when I placed my trust in the finished work of Christ. This was a big one for a recovering legalist who had been taught otherwise early in my faith journey.

    I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No
    one can snatch them away from me.     John 10:28 (emphasis added)

    God promises to meet our needs. This is a tough one for us. We are culturally conditioned to pray for wants, bombarded by messages that tell us this car or that product or that promotion will make us happy. God promises only that He will give us all we need.

    Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33 (emphasis added)


    This may be one of the most common places where I stub my toe on something sacred without even knowing it, because I am looking for some glorious blessing. A common provision of grace is at my feet, and I walk right over it. Part of the challenge for me going forward will be reorienting my thinking about what really matters.

    After His resurrection, Jesus gave final instructions to His followers, telling them to make disciples and to baptize those new believers in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And then He says,


    And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the
    end of the age.     Matthew 28:20 (emphasis added)

    We often talk about the importance of last words and the weight they carry. These last recorded words of Jesus are so encouraging. Christ wanted us to be sure that He was going to be present with us for every earthly breath we take.

    I don’t live as if I believe that promise. I feel alone so often, struggling with doubts. Part of this 21 Day journey has been to learn to trust the truth that He is always with me. I choose to plant my flag of belief on that hill as we wrap up our time. And I choose to believe this truth that our Lord proclaimed in the Gospel of John.

    I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.
    John 15:9

    These are scary times. But here is what I know today. Jesus loves me and is with me always. With that knowledge I know one other thing. It will be okay.

    Excerpts from Waking Up Slowly Book

  • Connect 21: Day 20 – The Best Present You Can Give.

    Connect 21: Day 20 – The Best Present You Can Give.

    Every day I am gifted with 86,400 seconds of precious time. I cannot possibly use all of it wisely. But I can invest more of that daily gift into my relationships with God and others. I can’t draw interest on unused time to be used later.

    Time is far more valuable than the money we so doggedly pursue. I can lose all my money and make more later. But if I lose my time, it is gone forever. Solomon actually beat me to this message by about three thousand years, give or take. He decided that, all things considered, the best way to live is to enjoy the moment.

    After looking at the way things are on this earth, here’s
    what I’ve decided is the best way to live: Take care
    of yourself, have a good time, and make the most of
    whatever job you have for as long as God gives you
    life. And that’s about it. That’s the human lot. Yes, we
    should make the most of what God gives, both the
    bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what’s
    given and delighting in the work. It’s God’s gift! God
    deals out joy in the present, the now. It’s useless to
    brood over how long we might live.
    Ecclesiastes 5:18-20, The Message


    Not to be maudlin, but that is the reality of this earthly existence. We don’t know if we have tomorrow or even the rest of today. Certainly we must be wise to plan and prepare for a long future. But we must also invest in now, in case that is what we are given.

    Maybe the message that resonates the most for me is that we cannot receive postdated grace. We cannot order grace for the future. We receive grace in the now. Grace is God’s greatest gift of my being present with Him. When we are disconnected or distracted, we miss that blessing of real-time grace.

    If I had to write a one-sentence summary of what I learned on this odyssey, it would be very simple. Spend focused time with those you love and with your God. Speaker-writer Zig Ziglar wrote about spending time with loved ones.

    “One of these days you will say either, ‘I wish I had,’ or ‘I’m glad I did.’”

    How heartbreaking would it be to find yourself at the end of this pilgrimage with the regret of “I wish I had” roiling in your soul? My heart’s desire is that I will gratefully say, “I’m glad I did.” If you want to give the very best present to your spouse, kids, friends, and God, the grace challenge is simple.

    Be present.

    I have never forgotten what entrepreneur Mary Crowley said to me when we were discussing the challenge of parenting. Mary said she had one regret. “I wish I had answered at the first tug.” That is simply being present.

    If a friend is suffering, you can show no greater love than to simply be there for him or her. Not offering great theological insight or stories of your own or other’s suffering. Just to be present.

    When you talk to a friend, be present. Not looking around as if your friend is merely a temporary diversion before someone more compelling comes along. That is the best thing we can give to others. Nothing makes a person feel more valued than being fully present.

    Being present is the best worship we can give to God. We can sing and raise hands in worship to God, and that is good. We can talk about His love and forgiveness, and that is good. But nothing communicates our adoration for God more than being fully present with Him.

    The enemy will remind you over and over of all that needs to be done. He will remind you of past wounds and failures. It would be wise to remember a couple of things at this point. Jesus has experienced exactly what you are going through right now. He was tempted in the desert by Satan. He was tired, hungry, and lonely. Jesus experienced this trio of circumstances that often cause me to yield to temptation, and He conquered them with a simple strategy. Jesus focused on the Father and rebuked Satan with Scripture. First Jesus was tempted to gratify His extreme hunger by turning the stones into bread. Then the Accuser taunted Jesus to prove His divine status by throwing Himself off the Temple and to be rescued by attending angels. The Message colorfully describes the third temptation of Jesus.



    For the third test, the Devil took him to the peak of a
    huge mountain. He gestured expansively, pointing out
    all the earth’s kingdoms, how glorious they all were.
    Then he said, “They’re yours—lock, stock, and barrel.
    Just go down on your knees and worship me, and
    they’re yours.”
    Jesus’ refusal was curt: “Beat it, Satan!”

    I cannot tell you how much I love the image of Jesus turning to the enemy and telling him to “beat it.”

    The story continues. He backed his rebuke with a third quotation from
    Deuteronomy:

    “Worship the Lord your God, and only him. Serve him with absolute single-
    heartedness.” The Test was over. The Devil left. And in his place, angels! Angels came and took care of Jesus’ needs. Matthew 4:8-11, The Message

    There is so much good stuff in those verses. Jesus’ rebuke was backed by the Word of God. That gave authority to the command to “beat it.” I can have a colleague tell me that I should complete a task at work. I may or may not do it. I can have a peer tell me. I may or may not respond. But when the boss tells me to do it, the job will certainly get done. He or she has authority. I am under that authority to obey, unless I make the bad choice of not responding, which may mean I will be looking for another job. That is what was going on here. Satan has power, but it is limited. God has the authority, and Jesus simply used that power.

    Serve Him with absolute single-heartedness. Be present. We cannot multitask and be fully present with God.

    Some anonymous person summed it up perfectly. People who have a lot of money and no time we call “rich.” People who have time but no money we call “poor.” Yet the most precious gifts—love,friendship, time with loved ones—grow only in the sweet soil of unproductive time.

    The world might call quiet moments of presence with God and others unproductive time. I am learning that there is no more productive way we can spend our time. Everything that truly matters springs from that presence-enriched soil.

    My heavenly Father is always present. I just need to show up for Him. That is the essence of spiritual growth for me. Just showing up in humility every day, seeking His presence.

    I will stumble in this journey to be present. I probably will need a refresher course often. But I am confident beyond confident of one truth that Paul wrote to the church at Philippi, which is true for you and me today.

    I am certain that God, who began the good work within
    you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on
    the day when Christ Jesus returns.
    Philippians 1:6


    I am waking up slowly in this life. But one day, fairly soon, I will wake up glorified. I believe the epithet written on Ruth Graham’s tombstone will also describe my journey: “End of construction—thank you for your patience.”

    Excerpts from Waking Up Slowly

  • 21 Connect: Day 19 – It is Still a Wonderful World

    21 Connect: Day 19 – It is Still a Wonderful World

    There is a country song by George Strait that laments about how long it took him to figure out things in his life. The lyrics humorously admit that he was wrong about a lot of things and slow to the dance on many others. One of my favorite lyrics in that song is when he hears “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong and it brings a tear to his eye. “After all these years,” Strait sings, he finally gets that song.

    Me too.

    That song by Louis Armstrong sees the beauty in this sometimes-ugly world. Flowers, the blue sky, rainbows, smiles, love, and babies crying. And like a modern psalmist, Armstrong sits back and with a smile in his distinctive voice proclaims to himself and others that it is a wonderful world. Martin Luther said that “God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees, and flowers, and clouds, and stars.” I believe that more than ever.

    We began this journey hoping that together we could find ways to eliminate distractions and examine attitudes that keep us from enjoying more connection to God and one another. Devices, distractions, worry, cynicism, and ingratitude were just a sampling of the external and internal things that keep us from enjoying the moment.

    Now I am determined to not let the devil or devices (sometimes they are one and the same) rob me of a precious moment. I hear people complaining about insignificant things, and I want to take their hand and show them the blessings all around them. I hear pundits and others spewing hateful rhetoric, and I want to tell them to relax—God is in control.

    I read passionate and too often ugly responses on social media, and my heart hurts. We don’t consider that we are attacking, demeaning, and demonizing a human created in the image of God. I look for any chance to show kindness, and I thank God that my circumstances are not bigger than He is.

    While I was finishing the manuscript of Waking Up Slowly I encountered a travel nightmare. My flight was delayed, and the updates were not particularly helpful. It had already been a long day, and the late arrival was unfortunate. We finally took off, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I took a taxi to the hotel and trudged to the clerk at the desk. Somehow, there was no reservation logged for me. The hotel was completely full, and there were no rooms at the half-dozen or so hotels that the employee called.

    My previous reaction would have been indignation. I might have dropped my status with that hotel chain. Without question I would have made the hotel clerk feel bad about how much I was being inconvenienced. I was never one to go off in anger, but I was entirely capable of cynical comments.

    But the lessons of this journey were fresh in my mind. Be kind. This is not her fault. Be grateful. This is not even a blip on the world-suffering scale. Be confident. God is in control and this will work out.

    Again the message of Colossians came to mind.

    Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. (Colossians 3:12-15, NLT, Emphasis added)

    Eventually I located a hotel not too far away and went about the fun task of finding a taxi in a small city at two o’clock in the morning. I finally checked in and smiled at how God gives pop quizzes when we are asking the Spirit to teach us.

    I had navigated that travel ordeal without raising my blood pressure or incriminating someone without knowing who messed up. I learned the next day that I was the guilty party who had forgotten to follow up to confirm the reservation.

    Thank You, God, that I did not blame a person who was merely doing her job and had done nothing wrong. Sadly, I have done that before. Perhaps I am learning that a truly happy person enjoys the scenery on life’s detours. There are storms and trials in this journey but it truly is a wonderful world when we focus on our blessings and hope in Christ.

    Excerpted from Waking Up Slowly book

  • 21 Connect: Day 18 – The Value of Silence

    21 Connect: Day 18 – The Value of Silence

    It comes as no surprise that the Bible regularly addresses our need for silence and solitude.


    Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
    for my hope is in him.
    He alone is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress where I will not be shaken. Psalm 62:5-6


    Perhaps the most consistent role model for the need for solitude and silence was Jesus.



    Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus
    got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place,
    where he prayed. Mark 1:3-5, NIV

    Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16, NIV

    Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the
    night praying to God. When morning came, he called
    his disciples to him and chose twelve of them. Luke 6:12-13, NIV

    Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make
    him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain
    by himself. John 6:15, NIV

    Jesus understood the need to recenter and reconnect with the Father. He understood the power of quiet to be able to hear the voice of His Father. How can we think we are able to function spiritually and emotionally without occasional silence and solitude? This is not something I am accomplished at. I have probably had more intentional, undistracted time during this pandemic than I have had in years, if not ever.

    Noise becomes a habit. If I am alone, I used to need the television in the background or music in my ears. I am learning that sometimes I just need silence.

    A. W. Tozer said that “only after all the noise has spent itself do we begin to hear in the silence of our heart, the still, small, mighty voice of God.”

    That requires us to slow down, give up our perceived control, and simply be quiet. I can tell you it does not come naturally in this culture. Being alone and quiet so you can hear the still voice of the Holy Spirit is about a heart attitude more than location. For me, there is one really important benefit of reflective quiet in the presence of God: it interrupts my typical prayer time of delivering a monologue to God. I was taught to make my requests known in prayer after a little perfunctory praise. I went down my list, and I was done. One-way conversation.

    I am outta here!

    Forcing myself to be quiet gives me a chance to look inward. To see where I might need to allow the light of God’s grace to shine on some dark area. I allow myself to be fully in the moment and not worried about tomorrow. I allow myself the time to reflect on who I am and how the Father looks at me. It clears my mind to clearly think about what needs to be done. I remind myself that I don’t have to constantly manage and be in control.

    Be still, and know that I am God! (Psalm 46:10)

    The Hebrew word for “be still” might be better translated as “cause yourselves to let go” or “let yourselves become weak.” I have had to learn to slow down, unplug, and be still. And I have had a major surprise: I am really enjoying it.


    It is a lesson I intend to build on. God is powerful enough to teach an old dog new tricks. I invite you to find a place to be quiet today. In the sounds of silence, God may very well meet you.

    Excerpts from Waking Up Slowly