Today, after a week of unseasonably high temperatures, the weather finally cooled off. In fact, yesterday we hit 100 degrees, a new record high since the records started being kept more than a century ago. I had an appointment this morning, even though it was a holiday. To start the day off, I had breakfast with a group of friends. That is a rare thing in my world – I am usually pretty busy, and to be honest, I am not a very good early morning person. In part, that is due to the fact that I usually write my post late into the night, and I am at my freshest when the rest of the world is quiet. But it really struck home that for the first time this season, I had to put on a jacket to head out this morning. The thermometer registered 56 degrees when I left the house at 8:45.
I was instantly reminded of the first inkling of fall – cooler mornings. And I remembered being taught as a child that this signifies the beginning of the harvest season, when the farmers start to think about bringing in the crops and God prepares the ground for a season of rest. Soon enough, after a quiet winter, the farmers will plant again and the entire cycle will commence once more.
After the usual necessary chores of the day were complete, Janet and I enjoyed a quiet afternoon together. We were watching Kristin and Jimmy’s dog, Yogi, while their family went away for an overnight trip, so, all in all, it was pretty quiet today.
Late this afternoon, after we dropped Yogi back off home, we decided to head to the store and look at mums. We have several pots around the front and back porches, and we always like to have a fall display in full bloom. We had not thought of doing this so early, but it is going to be a busy week, and so we decided to get a jump on things. We brought them back home, and quietly enjoyed the late afternoon time together – then I fired up the barbecue and cooked our dinner.
After dinner, I headed upstairs to my loft and worked on getting ready for the upcoming week. Janet was downstairs and so I quietly finished my preparation, wrote several emails and prepared a deposit for the bank.
Have you figured out the theme of the day yet? I’ll give you a hint; just sit quietly and think about it…..
After all the quiet times of the day, I couldn’t help but turn to the Bible and look for something appropriate. My first impulse was probably the most famous use of the word “quiet” in the Bible, the 23rd Psalm, verse 2, “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters..” But as I child, I learned the King James version, which used the words “still waters”, so I kind of felt that it was a stretch. Therefore, I settled on a different verse, from 1 Th. 4:11, “… make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you..” That’s just plain, old fashioned, good advice.
In this world of excess and constant running around, I think that it is good to be reminded every once in a while that we should lead quiet lives. So my encouragement tonight is to be full of purpose, listening quietly for God to speak into your life. We don’t have to always be on the run in order to satisfy God. In fact, I can’t help but think that part of the reason for the Sabbath is to be quiet and to commune with the Father. My prayer this evening is that you will enjoy life to the fullest; resting in the quiet times with God. And that you will listen intently to what He is saying to you; because we each have an important task to accomplish that has been uniquely assigned to us. I guess I could have written more to you this evening, but frankly, I think I’ll just enjoy a little peace and quiet…..Have a great day in the Lord…