The big moments get a lot of hype and it’s often well-deserved, but the small can be unseen, unnoticed, unheard of. Or maybe it’s none of those three but it gets pushed to the side.

I was standing over the kitchen sink, slowly and methodically rinsing and then slicing strawberries, when I caught myself thinking out loud: I really enjoy this.

Quiet. Easy. So simple. Not a big deal and certainly not life changing. But the thought caught me and held on for a bit, likely because it falls right in line with what I’ve spent the past several months learning (and re-learning).

The spiritual practice of finding and choosing quiet causes something in our souls to twist up tight and then unwind with relief.

 

We do one thing while thinking about or preparing for the next. Our thumbs scroll lit up iPhone screens while we stand in line at the checkout counter. We’re entering into June with relief but part of us is already thinking ahead to starting up in August. We are present but we are not. We do, do, do so we can be, be, be.

I can’t figure out just what we’re all trying to be.

More ___. Less ___. More like ___.

{Available as a free 8×10 print }

It was some time back in February or March that I stopped listening to music in the car. My phone was always dinging, there was always someone to talk to, homework or words to intake, and a checklist to finish.

There was so much noise and my soul was begging for quiet.

So I turned the dial off. Not down, off. I don’t even know where I was headed but I do remember the odd, almost awkward minutes of silence.

I wanted to fill them with something. A phone call, text message alert, country songs, talk radio, anything.

But I sat there in the silence and quickly the twisting inside turned to sweet relief. I didn’t know how much my soul was craving a moment of silence until the noise disappeared.

I kept the radio off in my car for months and began to look for other ways to quiet my life.

I said “no” more often. I gracefully bowed out of a few opportunities. I skipped things I never would have missed – like an end of the year award ceremony. I missed receiving an important honor because I was sitting in the quiet of my room writing out a homework assignment.

Savor by Shauna Niequist

I was still working, still doing. But there was a slow shift inside, one I’m still beginning to recognize.

I purposely chose the semi-dark of a room lit with white Christmas lights and a computer screen over an award, a stage, clapping and fluorescent lighting. And I breathed easier because of it.

Yes, there is a time and place for the noise. Believe me, I attended lots of things with lots of noise. I didn’t stop my life – I simply started to recognize a pull toward the quieter places.

I thought a lot more. I felt a bit deeper. I wrestled with some tough stuff. The quiet made room to hear Him speak.

And then I found myself standing over a colander full of just-washed strawberries, thinking how lovely and enjoyable the moment was.

Not for Instagram or a viral blog post, but for my soul. It was beautiful for my soul. I’m learning to savor the small and to choose the unhurried path. It’s the road less traveled, but there’s a bit less noise.

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This post was inspired by a bowl of strawberries and the book Savor (by Shauna Niequist), but truly it’s been churning inside for months. When I received Shauna’s new devotional last month, I knew that when the time was right to share these words, her words would weave their way in. Savor is Shauna’s newest work and it is exquisite, to say the least. I’ve read countless devotionals but none even close to being like hers. It is welcoming and you’ll learn so much, but her words won’t make you feel like you’re being in a classroom. Instead, she teaches by sharing stories and lessons from her life. Yesterday’s is pictured below and it is lovely.

Savor by Shauna Niequist

If you’re looking for a gift that will give again and again, this is a great option. But it’s also a good one to keep on your nightstand, right next to that phone that likes to make noise. Choose what you’ll savor… I hope you’ll pick a little bit more of the simple today.

 

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I was provided with a copy of Savor by BookLookBloggers. Affiliate links have been used in this post.