Monday, April 18, 2016

So What If Your Life Doesn't Look Like Everyone Else's?



What an awesome weekend!

Did Tom and I--

... sail away on a cruise?

... fly to Hawaii or Paris?

... attend a barbeque party at a park with friends?


Well, no, but after Tom dropped-off the rental car from his business trip, he and I drove around a Leave It To Beaver area of our town and pointed at awesome, takes-you-back-in-Time houses. And dreamed a bit.

We returned home, ordered-out for Chinese food and watched the previous night's Blue Bloods and Hawaii 5-0. Then I changed clothes and puttered like a woman released from Winter's grasp out in our sunny 65 degree yard. I re-potted forget-me-nots and mint, raked leaves (it never ends here) then rested upon our wicker chair with a book. My dead-white arms even turned a bit brown. 

Sunday afternoon I played again, for hours, in the yard and, bending over the oregano, shook my head over my earlier sorry, impatient complaints about winters here. This bright, warm weekend I, again, never wanted to move away from nostalgic, lovely Buffalo.

Hmm. Probably that's a descriptive letdown, right? Ol' Debra just puttering the weekend away in her yard, pulling weeds, spreading compost, blah, blah, blah.

But long ago I realized this: As a writer and as just myself, well, I had to accept that God designed something different for me. Something quieter, slower than my friends' hectic busyness (which I once believed I wanted), where I feel and hear Him step alongside me while I putter around the yard or house. And glean lessons to share with you.

Something reminiscent of what appeared on Facebook yesterday:

"Isn't it the most lovely thought that God might be waiting for there to be some silence in our lives in order to share some of His best secrets with us?
The enemy wants us to believe that times of silence are a curse of loneliness.
God wants us to know that times of silence are really pathways to closeness with Him."
Lysa TerKeurst

Oh wow. How freeing to no longer believe lies about aloneness which the world tells. To instead believe this: 


"Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength." ... Isaiah 30:15.


And perhaps that verse is even truer in our crazy 2016 world. 

Do you have a garden? You are never alone out there. Have a heart, a soul, a mind? If Jesus is your friend, aloneness isn't your portion, either. Never. Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall--He's there waiting to listen, to speak, to comfort.


An old photo. Our trees presently have only the tiniest of buds on them.


******





7 comments:

  1. A beautiful post and one I can identify with very much. Although we seem to be on the go a lot, I love my quiet time at home. In fact, as I told my dear husband yesterday as we drove home from our weekend in Portland, OR., I could easily be a hermit. Don't get me wrong, I love, love, love spending time with others, but I can just as easily just be home too. I love my quiet study times in the morning, my knit times in the afternoons and my quiet evenings with Hubby just talking, reading or watching TV.
    I hope you have many, many more perfect days this spring.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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  2. Anonymous11:25 AM

    I really do love quiet time, too Debra..... but my complaint is that I don't get enough of it! Since hubby and I are both retired, he's around the house all the time - which isn't a bad thing, BUT --- he loves to have the TV on A LOT. That tends to drive me slightly mad. So, what to do? I'm not totally sure of the answer, but wanted to agree with you that quiet time is awesome.... and coveted around here :)

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  3. Betsy--ha! While in high school I dreamed of growing up to become a hermit. :) So I totally know where you're coming from. Of course, though, we both know that balance is best--time alone, time with others. I think having both makes us appreciate each one more. As an introvert, being in a crowd for too long surely does make me appreciate quiet alone time even more! :)

    Oh Susan! I totally know what you're saying. Tom and I went through similar things while he was unemployed for 20 months and you know? Already we discuss how things will be different around here when he does finally retire.

    Ideas! I've got ideas. :) Like, my little room upstairs is an escape just for me. And there's the yard, of course, where I can be alone. And headphones--on weekends I use them at this computer a lot so not to hear the tv (I listen to music while surfing the Net or watch Netflix). We've also talked about getting some headphones for the tv so Tom can use those and I can clean house or relax at the dining table in peace. And also, we could have quiet set-times when we both read in our own areas. (Tom has really taken to reading again lately, which is great--although--his very favorite thing is to simultaneously read and watch tv!) :)

    We're also considering hobbies/activities which will get us away from the house one at a time so the other person can have the house to themselves.

    See? I've been planning like crazy. :) The main thing is to keep looking for ways/plans which work for *both* of us. There are always answers to these sorts of things, but oh my! They seem to take longer to find the older I get. So that's why I'm starting now to look... heh. :)

    Thanks, Ladies! Blessings, Debra

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  4. What a soothing post. I am glad you had such a relaxing weekend.

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  5. Thank-you so much, Dolores! I'm glad you found this post soothing. It really was a relaxing weekend, so much so, that I'm still "playing weekend" today. Sorta. :) Blessings, Debra

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  6. I love this post Debra! I have always enjoyed quiet time and although I enjoy spending time with family and friends I find that I have to make time for my quiet time each day!

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  7. Elizabeth--thanks so much! Isn't quiet time the best? Like medicine for our souls after what this world tries to throw at us, right? :)

    Blessings, Debra

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