A Quiet Heart

I know I have been a way for a while but I'm back. I have been offered a new opportunity to share my faith and my musings on God's love and grace. I write a "little" piece for our church newsletter each month, so I thought I would share what I have been writing. You have already read two of the musings in earlier posts; this is the one I wrote in the June newsletter.

Musings . . .

The Lord your God is with you, . . . . He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing" Zephaniah 3:17

Those who know me well know that one of my favorite things to do is to sit on my swing on our back patio. When I am not working, my morning routine includes getting my cup of coffee Lance has so graciously fixed for me and going to my swing to sit with no purpose in mind other than to just sit. I watch the birds that come to our feeders and bathe in the bird bath, splashing water in such a ceremonious way. Sometimes I get to watch the hummers hovering around the feeders getting their sugar fix for the day. I enjoy the plants around the yard and patio with their colorful blooms, and in the background are the soothing sounds of the water as it trickles in the fountain close to our patio.

After I have cleared my mind, I begin to think about my day. Before I begin it, I read my devotional and pray. I wish I could start every morning this way, but as most who know me also know I am not an early starter so a morning such as this is not an option on a day that I work. Yet, when I think about this time of peace I experience, it always brings to mind Psalm 46: 10a: “Be still, and know that I am God; . . .” As I sit in the swing, I know that I am blessed with God’s grace, a wonderful gift I know I have done nothing to merit, a gift I know I can sit in my swing and gratefully accept.

Several weeks ago, I heard someone explain that when translators were working on a translation of the Bible for a group of native South Americans who spoke an unusual dialect, there was no word for peace. The closest words translators could come up with were “quiet heart.” Isn’t it wonderful that that God’s grace can give us a quiet heart, a peace that allows us to wipe out all the previous day’s stress and a peace that allows us to start a new day in His glory?

I wish everyone had a swing that could do for them what my swing does for me. But, if not, I hope everyone can still take time to “be still” and find that quiet heart that is within all of us.

Love in Christ, D.K.

P.S. Stay tuned for more postings from the Spain trip.