I Have Calmed and Quieted My Soul

     "But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me." (Psalm 131:2 ESV).
     I am continuing to feel drawn to write from time to time about the "activities" of intimacy (something I started in my November 3, 2012 entry), and since Father has had me thinking about inner stillness a lot these days, I want to offer a few thoughts about it--some old, some new.
     First, I have written before about stillness and peace, and I don't want to repeat myself too much, so if you want more than I write here today, take a look at here, here and here for some of what I have written about stillness (or just search my blog for "stillness").
     Now a few thoughts (just a few) about the importance of inner stillness. There was time not too long ago (pre-Secret Place encounter with Papa) when I would have dismissed the notion of inner stillness as a myth or at best, the experience of a few special and highly mystical people. I know better now :-). Inner stillness is an essential and very available part of every believer's life. It is the peaceful center from which hearing God's voice, knowing His love, drawing on His grace and power flow. And yes, remarkable inner stillness is available and attainable for every believer! How does one get there? 
     The answer to that question begins with a God-initiated desire, I think, that won't be satisfied with a distracted and noisy relationship with God Most High! And perhaps desire isn't a strong enough word: desperation might be more fitting. So I would ask you, "Are you satisfied with your experienced understanding of God's love and power? Are you content with the level of your hearing/sensing/seeing of God's communication? Are you one whose 'peace-o-meter' is so finely tuned that you are instantly aware of changes in it? Are you one whose inner life is free from noisy self-talk and the raucous racket of life?" Or are you desiring what I just described, indeed feeling a certain desperation after reading my words?  My prayer is that hunger for stillness will be ignited by the questions I just asked. If that is indeed the case, then you are positioned to enter a life of increasing inner stillness.
     So what follows hunger/desire? David's words quoted above give us a hint. Even though the desire for stillness, for intimacy with Papa God is initiated by Him, there is a choice we must make to "quiet and calm" our inner self. This part was a rather maddening experience for me at first! As some of you know from my earlier writings, my first attempts to "quiet my soul" (achieve inner silence), took about 3 hours, and the "noise" would return all too readily. But persistence at sinking down into surrender, into God's affection eventually led to a place where noise is the exception not the rule and where stillness is so "normal" that any disruption to it stands out like a sore thumb. 
     Impossible for you, you say? If Papa can take someone as driven, busy and worried as I was and bring me to a place of peace, He can do it for anyone! My one contribution to the journey was to not give up--something that anyone can choose to do.
     So don't give up and consider what I have written before (November 20, 2008): "Take the time needed to get still. Get alone, tune out the outside noises, put on some soft worship music if that helps, and just sit until your soul quiets down. Certain scripture passages have helped me get still and may help you, too (Psalms 46:10 and 131:1-2, for example). Finally, don’t give up! Most of us are so unaccustomed to stillness that it takes practice to get really still. But when you do get still, hang on! You will find God speaking volumes to you, and you will learn how to take that stillness with you wherever you go."

Hope this helps at least a little in your journey to stillness.

Tom, one of Abba's (mostly) peaceful children