A Peaceful Place, and Time

It Is Not Often… That I get a picture in my pathway that makes me want to simply slow down my rapid pace and just totally relax. This is one of them! Now. I can imagine mosquitoes, voices carrying across the water, or even someone standing right next to me – but none of that shows up in the photo. Peaceful. Place and time!

There are a few places I can go for this feeling – my home, upstairs office, deck, or some lonely off beaten trail far from people. It does not mean I have to be alone as there are a few people that I can enjoy their presence even while I search for quiet and solitude.

If I had a fireplace, and it was a cold, dark, stormy night, then I could simply enjoy the peaceful moment with a good cup of coffee and a pastry. Wait. I’m not eating much pastry these days, so a handful of roasted pecans!

Of course, that means I need year-round winter!

When traveling and the crowds get to be too much, then a quiet corner of a coffee bar gives me peaceful resolve. The sound of the equipment and voices fade into the background as my mind and soul recenters on the moment.

Traveling with a wonderful tour group who were mostly strangers when we met up in Israel required much down time to recoup my center. There was nothing wrong with the group, but the constant pressure of people, noise, and external stimuli that was not in my control… Well, it was nice having room to escape to.

In fact, even in a crowded space, I need to find a place to re-center myself!. Often it’s as simple as turning everyone and everything out. Tuning into quiet just like you hunt down the radio dial looking for something to enjoy… Quiet. Peace. Solitude.

When the clamoring noise gets to be too much, then pure silence is required and I enjoy my noise canceling headset to bring quiet to the moment. Why must you always have the radio blaring? Do you not value peace and solitude? I can go all day long without turning on the noisemakers that others like to have thumping and rattling their space!

When the constant pressure from others demand your attention, then simply turning off the phone and disconnecting for a while is a great solution! But you have to be in control of your time to make the escape happen!

“Time is the scarcest resource of the manager;
If it is not managed, nothing else can be managed.” ~Peter F. Drucker

When the visual stimuli get to be too much, then there are some favored pictures that speak peace and quiet. Much like the first picture.

This trip to Israel was coming to a close. We were actually in Jordan, visiting Petra, and I was feeling the pressure of the crowds and the constant chattering noise of friends and strangers. We entered the valley floor after a 2-hour walk through the deepening pathway, and I knew I needed to be alone. I found my own nook of shade, settled in away from everyone I knew, and simply enjoyed watching others. I created some special memories from those few moments of solitude!

Here’s my thought today.

All of this search for a peaceful place and time actually causes me to stop and wonder, how did Jesus handle the constant interruptions, the press of people, the clamoring needs and the incessant and constant demand of his time?

Jesus has just finished teaching. Thousands are in the audience. It’s late and everyone is hungry. He performs a miracle and feeds the thousands. Can you imagine how much the entire day took out of him? Giving. Giving. And giving. At some point all of us need to escape the drama and find a place and time to recover. Jesus is no different.

Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.
(Matthew 14:22-23 NKJV)

Notice something extremely important. He made everyone, even those close to him, leave. “I’ll meet you over there, but for the time being, go.” He sent away the multitudes! How do you control the thousands you had just taught and fed with those 5 loaves of bread and two fish? Somehow you have to tell them to leave, and mean it!

The overwhelming presence of people and pressure forces him to take extreme measures to find his own place of quiet, peace and solitude.

The story, as told in the Gospel of John, added another piece of the puzzle to the situation.

Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.
(John 6:14-15 NKJV)

What I notice is that he had to take control of his own surroundings and escape from the crowds, noise, and demands on his time. He made it happen!

It’s like getting too much of social noise, news, and the constant attention to the text and phone devices! Shut it off! Too many people around? Go to a quiet place. Too many demands on your time? Find a better way of learning to say NO!

What do you do when you are alone?

I practice solitude! I find this place on my tractor doing meaningless chores on my property, or get into my truck and peruse familiar and strange roads. My mind wanders far afield, my subconscious handles life in the background, and my soul is refreshed because I’m doing something I need to do and enjoy the relaxation of the escape.

A word of warning, however, if you do not learn how to handle the stress and crowds that press your world, then you will always be the first to exit every situation. For the briefest of moments, this makes me think about that intrepid explorer, the mountain man, who could simply head off into the wilderness and enjoy never being around others. That’s pushing it too far. The word “hermit” comes to mind!

There is a balance for each of us to find where and how we fit into the crowded space we call life. You have to find that balance and live it to the best of your ability.