Quiet Time
When I was growing up, I had the profound privilege of visiting my grandparents on their farm every weekend. There was nowhere on earth more lovely or serene. It was my favorite place in all the world. My days there were spent wandering their vast acreage, visiting the livestock, and fishing the pond. Sitting in the sandy soil eating strawberries fresh off the vine was a favorite warm-weather pastime. I savored the simple pleasures of daydreaming, tea parties, and long walks in bare feet.
Plopping down in front of the television set to waste away the daylight hours wasn’t much of an option at Grandma and Grandpop’s house. They owned only one television, and it was a black-and-white model. It only picked-up a few stations from their rural location, so TV viewing options were very limited anyway. Besides, my grandparents were too busy for loafing in front of the television for hours on end, even at their advanced ages. When they did have time to relax, they spent that time reading or quietly contemplating on the porch. They enjoyed peace and quiet, and were masters of the art of contentment.
Nowadays, virtually every moment of our days are filled with noise and distraction. Cell phones prevent us from any solitude whatsoever. Restaurants, banks ~ even churches ~ blaring visual broadcasts via big-screen high-definition are the norm. The internet is a never-ending smorgasbord of sight and sound. We have become conditioned to an endless assault of stimulation. It’s no wonder so many of us are worn-down, wrought-up, and stressed-out.
Although Bobby and I both tend to keep busy with our respective responsibilities, there is one activity that we both relish ~ sitting together on the porch swing. We find that a few quiet moments stolen during the course of the day refreshes us and offers a much-needed break from the chaotic pace of life and all its accompanying clamor.
I encourage you and your spouse to find a few silent moments to simply sit together and enjoy one another’s presence. It’s not necessary to fill every moment with chatter or discussion. It’s okay to be still. Some claim that to sit together in silence is to neglect communication or connection. This is a fallacy. For a couple who has been joined as one by the sacred covenant of marriage, words are not indispensable. Just as we are to be still and know that He is God, take time to be still with your beloved.
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“He who does not understand your silence will probably not understand your words.” ~ Elbert Hubbard