As we enter into Advent — this is my prayer for you, for me, for our loved ones, and our lives…
Let it be. Three small words hold so much possibility. I inhale on “Let” and by “be,” my breath comes out in a rush as the tension falls from my shoulders. I add “quiet” to the end, and it’s my dream come true. Simply being. In the quiet.
I feel closest to my Savior in the quiet. Whether that’s on top of a mountain in Colorado, on my screen porch at home, or in the pause before the closing prayer at church, if it’s quiet, there’s connection. There is space for reflection, for dreaming, for possibility, for learning, for growth. Sometimes in the midst of the quiet, there’s whispered prayers containing tears of defeat or smiles of joy, but in the quiet, there’s room for both.
The value of quiet, of stillness, cannot truly be calculated. It is where we find our center again, where we reshape our vision, refocus our dreams, recharge our souls. Jesus knew this. He knew that in the quiet, there is connection with the Father, and in relationship with him, there is rest for the weary, peace for the over scheduled, grace for the sinner, and time to simply be quiet.
Examples of Jesus utilizing this practice are scattered throughout the Gospels. As Luke says, “Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (5:15-16, NIV). This was during the height of Jesus’ ministry — he had a mission, a purpose, so many people to reach, heal, and touch with his words and life; yet He knew where His strength truly came from: the quiet times he spent with His Father.
Every season on the calendar year features its own brand of busyness, but nothing compares to the holidays. From parties to shopping to school events to family gatherings, every weekend in December has been claimed since October. Looking at the calendar leaves you breathless and begging for the second week of January. There’s no magic formula to avoid all of the holiday rush, but as we strive to live life as Jesus followers, we must make opportunities during this advent season to follow His example.
Let it be quiet.
Steal away from the cacophony of Christmas carols, children consuming too much sugar, family members who want to discuss your most awkward childhood moments, and shopping lists that take up all your phone’s memory.
Find a place. A closet maybe. Your car. The backyard. The bathroom.
Take a moment.
Breathe in — Let it be
Breathe out — quiet.
Whisper to your Savior, our God who came and walked among us, giving us many gifts —the greatest being grace in a tiny baby who would redeem the world — but let us not forget the gift of communion with Him in the quietest places of our hearts.
Rejoin the fray when you must, but tuck away that moment, a second of peace in the frantic feelings of the season, and let your soul find it again when it is needed.
Let it be.
Quiet.
