The stillness

Personal Photo: I snapped this photo earlier this week, after I got home late from work. I usually go right inside after work, but I was pulled to take a moment and appreciate our lovely home. I am so grateful the Holy Spirit is with each of us, bringing to us a friendship that we never need to overthink or second guess. God is so good!

I pulled into my driveway after yet another long day at work, and put my car into park. I finally made it to Friday, finally made it through the push and pull of trying to balance my life and my job. I took a brief minute and sat there before turning the key and taking it out of the ignition. In that moment, the hum of not only my car, but of the world around me, came to a halt, and the quiet of the space welcomed me into it's arms. I reveled at the peacefulness of the moment and took my time getting out, picking up my backpack and purse, along with some grocery bags from my stop on my way home, and walked up the stairs to where Clay and Jersey were inside.

This week was nothing short of a challenge for me, between out-of-office meetings, highly social events, and a lot of tasks piling up. A good week I suppose, but quite busy. Within the hubbub of one day to the next, I found myself craving the stillness, the quiet, the ability to ignore the clock. I think this season is usually a time for us all to find ourselves busy, shuffling from one task to the next, from one day to another, getting into the holiday season, and trying to keep up. We lose the stillness. And when we lose the stillness is exactly when we need it the most. Most times, the stillness we crave, the peacefulness that brings us calm, rests within the hands of the Holy Spirit.

The role of the Holy Spirit has always been so different to me compared to the Father and the Son. And I think that we can often overlook the need for the Holy Spirit, how much we depend on Him to bring us that peace we all crave so much. The Holy Spirit is first and foremost a gift from the Lord, a gift to live within us, to be near us, to give us inspiration, hope, and guidance at all times. He is our friend, He is our confidant, He is our teacher. John 14:15-17 tells us "If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." This verse warns us about how the world does not accept the Holy Spirit. He reminds me of the wind, the things you only notice when you are in a moment of stillness, the things you only appreciate when you slow down. He is felt, and we can see His impact. He is a special gift to each of us, one that is personal and is intimate. This verse tells us that the Spirit is within us, and even though others may not accept or see Him, He is someone who will help us at all times and in any situation.

The Holy Spirit is very personal to each of us, which is why I often find myself thinking about times when I felt quite vulnerable and went seeking Him for companionship and guidance. Some coworkers of mine were teasing me a bit, and if you know me, you know that I don't love being poked at or made fun of, not even in small doses. After a bit of banter, they left my office and the echoes of their jokes rang in my head. I struggled to make sense of why I was an easy target to tease, why it bothered me so much about what they said, and how to realign myself so I could focus on work. I can almost remember watching the Holy Spirit sitting down next to me, giving my hand a squeeze, and telling me that they are wrong, that there is nothing wrong with who I am. He reminded me of Job 33:4, which reads "The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life." He told me He loved me, that I was a child of God, and that everything was going to be okay.

Frustrated might be a better word to describe how I have been feeling recently, with not enough time to spend on the things I want to do, with the people I want to be with, where I want to be. I have struggled with my attitude, I have struggled to make progress, I have struggled to keep it together. Near tears and exhausted, I couldn't help but feel the Holy Spirit riding shotgun with me on my hour drive back into the office from a networking event that I almost walked out of. I was in a room full of people, but couldn't have felt more alone. He pointed out to me the vibrancy of the fall leaves, the unusual warmth of the day during this time of year, and the pretty Redtail Hawk perched on a fencepost. He put on a song I hadn't heard in awhile, and encouraged me to sing along. He brought to me a moment of stillness, and break in the rat race. He made all the reasons I almost left the event early fade into the background. He brought me companionship, He brought understanding of exactly how I felt.

This morning, I sat down to write this article and the computer wasn't working. There was no mouse on the screen and the updates weren't getting started. I usually finish the week's article and then make breakfast and try to clean up the house from the week. Today was different. The Holy Spirit sat with me while I drank my warm cup of tea, He walked with my little family down to the river at the back of our property and watched the water trickle downstream for a few minutes. He brought exhilaration to me when we ran all the way back to the house, and He reminded me of the lovely feeling of my cheeks getting rosy in the chilly Autumn air. He helped me take my time with this article. The Holy Spirit is in those moments of stillness. He holds peace, gratitude, and hope in His outstretched hands. All we need to do is slow down enough to recognize Him and appreciate what He does for us and with us.

We all need the stillness, we all need moments when we seek the Holy Spirit, times when we feel Him with us, and I have learned that the more I lean on Him, the more trustworthy He is. 2 Corinthians 3:17 tells us "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." This verse is clear that freedom only comes with the Spirit, and in this way, we can see how important it us for us all to welcome Him into our day to day, to depend on His companionship when we face the world. He brings to us a stillness that comforts, inspires, and befriends our hearts. He helps us abandon the feeling of loneliness, and He guides our hearts to make us better children of God. When we feel lost, alone, or fragile, the Holy Spirit is always there to be our closest friend. We just have to slow down so we can find Him there, waiting in the stillness, bringing us the peace we need.