Sue's Musings

Peace.  Calm.  The quiet center.  Sister Joan Chittister says that frankincense was used to bring a sense of calm or peace to life.  I am one that needs to find that center of peace in order to be mentally, physically, and spiritually healthy.  When my life gets too full, too hectic, or too cluttered, I get stressed.  I need to find that quiet center in order to restore balance, and when I have balance, not only am I more productive, I am more grounded, more joyful, and more connected to God and to this world in which I live and move.

I believe we all need a place of quiet in our lives, a sanctuary, if you will.  When we are anxious and nervous and always moving, always running, we don’t get the needed rest we need to be healthy, nor are we able to fully enjoy life.  Science has shown that rest, mental rest, provides many benefits, including the reduction of stress hormones, an increased production of the brain’s “happy neurotransmitters,” lower blood pressure, and a healthier immune system.  So the better we are able to rest, or to find that place of quiet centering, the more joyful and healthy our lives will be.  So today I invite you, not reflect, but be.  Just be.  Psalm 46:10 says “Be still, and know that I am God.”  I invite you to enter that stillness, and receive the gift of rest.  If you wish, share this time with your pet- they benefit from finding a calm center too.  So sit down with your pet, and settle together, and enjoy the benefits of just resting in God.

• Find a comfortable position, and simply let your mind rest. 
• Trust that God is God, and for that time, all of your concerns, all of your worries, all of your responsibilities, are cared for. 
• Take a few minutes to be still, to rest, and to find that place of quiet in the center of your being.
• Spend some quiet time there, and let God’s calming presence blanket you.
• As you emerge from that place of peace, give thanks for that sanctuary that is always within you and available to you, whenever you have need.