Treasure Silence

**The picture above doesn't relate to my dogwood tree story, however, it presents a powerful visual of silence.  No matter what that "place" is for you, it is important to include silence in your journey.  

Growing up was rough for me.  I came from a very dysfunctional upbringing.  There was always chaos and noise going on.  Many times, I relished the thoughts of getting away...establishing a place of solitude in the midst of the hurricane of a life I lived. 

 Next to my house was a tree...a dogwood tree. Every year, it yielded some of the most beautiful dewy, white flowers.  The scent was attractive, lingering in the air.  Most dogwood trees don't grow very big unless they are older.  This one stood beside my house since the day it was built in the mid 1950's, so it was pretty sturdy and large.  Because I was a tomboy, I climbed anything...from fences to the rooftop of my house.  This tree I had learned to climb when I was about 7 years old.  And boy was it fun! Climbing and jumping off...it was my makeshift jungle gym.  Well this time, it served a different purpose...it was the place where I had come to treasure silence.

As I mentioned earlier, my life was full of hurtful chaos.  To attempt to get away from it all, almost everyday after completing my homework, I'd run out and climb this tree and sit for hours.  I'd go almost to the very top.  My favorite branch had become smooth from my multiple visits.  From the bottom it was hard to see up, either from the leaves or the flowers, so my spot was secure.  Luckily enough, the bees never bothered me.  I guess after a while, they saw me as one of them =)

From my place of peace and quiet, I'd let my imagination run wild and free...daydreaming of my new life.  How I'd live.  What would I be like.  Where I would live.  And most importantly how happy and at peace I'd be.  Well, all of that took time...and a lot of hurtful experiences.  I look back on that little girl in the tree and I'm amazed at her determination to live...at her determination to find and treasure silence in the midst of her storm.

Many times as adults, we fill our cups to the brim, sometimes overflowing, with things.  We lose track of ourselves, our sanity, and our peace.  Then when we've run out of gas, we don't have anything reserved to continue on.  We desperately try to find the source of origination of where we went wrong...but all to no avail.  In the book of Job, when his life had been hit with detrimental blows, Job posed a statement to God, saying, "Teach me and I will keep quiet.  Show me what I have done wrong." (Job 6:26, NLT).  You see in times when we've lost our peace and can't search for that silence anymore, we need to get before God and pose the same statement to Him as Job did.  Isaiah 26:3 (NIV) says "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you."  Even in the most horrible of storms, chaos, and situations, we can remain in peace and attain that beautiful silence if we learn to cling to God's promises.  In Matthew 11:28, Jesus makes an invitation for all who are weary and burdened to come to Him and He will give us rest.  You see, (and maybe this is just for me) but when things start getting out of hand, and we become distressed, stressed, frustrated and worried...it's usually a sign that we've gotten out of God's will and stepped into our own.  We've gotten off of the path of peace and onto the path of noise and confusion.  

God wants so much for us to trust in Him wholly.  He wants to be included in everything about our lives.  And sometimes, well many times, it's absolutely necessary to step away from the noise of life and find that place of solitude and seek the Lord while He may be found and call on Him while He's near (Isaiah 55:6, NIV).  

We can have the life God wants us to have.  We just have to take the necessary steps to ensure He's included in every move we make...and sometimes seeking silence is where we'll find Him.  My prayer is for you to be blessed even as your souls are blessed.  I pray that you will take the initiative and find that silent place and treasure it.  In that place, call on our Father and allow His peace to saturate your hearts.  I am moved to tears at this very moment as I write...I pray this blog is as much of a blessing to you as it is to me.  God bless you!