We’ve all the heard negative things about idleness. Ecclesiastes 10:18 states: “Through laziness, the
rafters sag; because of idle
hands, the house leaks.” And who hasn’t heard that idle hands do the work of
the devil? We even have a law again against it …loitering. So what happens when
we are just quiet?
Most of us have experienced times when we simply “veg” out.
There were times after losing my husband to cancer when I sat on the edge of the bed and
stared straight ahead. Thoughts were impossible to form and I couldn’t get past
the pain of emptiness. But then finally, I came to understand Psalm 46:10 : “He says, ‘Be still,
and know that I am God;’”
I think it’s in those moments when we don’t know what to say
or do that idleness can become something more. It can be because of sadness,
lost hope, or even thanksgiving and gratitude. For me, such a moment occurred
recently.
An evening thunderstorm brought the darkness a little sooner
than expected. As I sat in my chair, I decided it would be enjoyable to turn out the
lights, turn off the TV, and just sit in my leather recliner chair and "be." As
lightning flashed against my walls and patio doors, it was a time to just
kickback and simply bask in the present. It also evoked memories of a similar night
last winter when I decided to light the gas fireplace, open the blinds and
draperies to my windows, and watch the falling snow.
Those quiet moments of idleness
are the ones that bring serenity and gratitude to my soul. It’s then that I
know that God truly "is."
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