Sitting beneath a canopy of branches, under the Nebraskan skies, I slowed to ask Him, “What do You have for me here, besides a bit of retreat –besides a bit of impartation and deeper connections?”
Immediately I felt Him whisper:
I have rest that you can take with you.
I have sunshine and breezes and white-rocking-chairs-on-front-porch-talks that will slowly linger, sink in, take root.
I have surprises that you won’t yet discover for months, maybe longer. But you will be able to count back to now.
I have quiet and yet not silence.
I have joy and yet not shallow.
Yes. The way I made you is joy — but it is not shallow! Do not believe that lie. You’re meant to be contagious, to be light. You are meant to be love and to be joy and to be you. You’re meant to be a gift, to be an encouragement . . . to be an artist, dreamer, and friend.
So go! Create art in every way you can and dream big. It will never be big enough! And be a friend to all who hunger for truth and art and dreams-come-true.
And so I did. I boarded that plane back to home, and I leaned in to all the ways I make art. I was more intentional with my time, my heart, and my gifts. I remembered lessons and rest and Sabbath.
But then the long hot months that followed became unproductive and silent — eerily void of direction or what was next. God was not as chatty with me, and I didn’t love it. At least not in the beginning. But I learned to value the companionship of stillness.
For we learn in the silence, and we grow in the quiet, reaching down deep.
I’m finding that the quiet must be sought out. We must dive in to surround ourselves with it.
As I fight the busy life and bossy lists that our culture forks over and masquerades as ‘normal,’ God assures me again and again that slow is the new fast and calm is the new chaotic, that His Presence is the peace everyone is looking for.
When we pause to breathe Him in and exhale slowly, we let Him fill us up in the moments of quiet stillness, and we enter into this beautiful partnership of letting Him make us.
Oh, how He loves it when we let Him make us . . .
- When we let Him make us lie down in green pastures.
- When we let Him make us step out of the boat.
- When we let Him make us walk on the water with Him.
- When we let Him make us, and remake us, and remake us again.
He loves it when we let Him make us be still long enough for Him to fill us, refresh us, and make us new, to be more like Him.
In the stillness and the quiet, we learn to be more like Him.
I believe this whispered promise is for all of us.
You’ve felt it too, right? This call to slow . . . to be intentional and make room for a little Sabbath rest. To set aside a few minutes and quiet all the noise. For He meets us in all of our moments, but when we seek the still small spaces of silence, we find Him already waiting there.
No matter what season of life we find ourselves in, we could all use a little more quiet, a little more rest, a little more letting Him make us.
So let’s set a timer, sneak away, crawl out of bed, or simply turn over, turning it all over to God. Let’s give Him five minutes of quiet, early or late or sometime in between, and discover this beautiful partnership, as He waits for us to let Him remake us.
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Related: Savor a few moments of quiet with a cup of tea or cocoa in this beautifully serene teacup and saucer.
Leave a Comment
Ivy Corbett says
I have been reflecting on this recently as the Lord gave me the verse from Isa. 30:15 “In returning and rest you shall be saved, in quietness and confidence will be your strength”. Sunday’s message was also about finding this place of rest in God’s presence . Making that an intentional time, hearing His heart in those moments. That is my challenge, to always be in that place.
Karrilee Aggett says
I love that, Ivy! And oh that verse! This is my challenge too, –to always be in this place! Let’s lean in together and quiet our souls!
dukeslee says
So beautiful, my friend. How wonderful to see you over here, on the pages of incourage.
Karrilee Aggett says
Thanks so much, Jennifer! I am honored to be here… as you know, this is where some of my favorite people hang out! xoxo
Debbie Prater says
Nice. Be still and know I am God. We need desperately to be still and drink of Him. We long for that, yet sometimes we look elsewhere and end up empty and thirsty. That place at His feet is where we need to linger. It’s there in that place I am refreshed. His presence, wow! What delights we find there.
Karrilee Aggett says
Amen, Debbie! So much amen!
Betsy Cruz says
Beautiful, Karrilee. I love the idea that SLOW is the new FAST. This is so counter-cultural. But God is calling us to slow down and let Him remake us. You’re making me think about how I can practice “slowing down.” Maybe turning off my computer?
Karrilee Aggett says
Betsy… gasp, right? Turn off the computer? Could that be God? (ahem… yes. Yes it could be!) 😉 It’s all about creating a bit of margin or intentional time of slowing down! We tend to think in glorious chunks of time but it can be as simple as five minutes set aside… and oh how He will meet you there!
Susan says
Pure Karrilee – you said it beautifully!
Karrilee Aggett says
LOL! Thanks, friend! Thanks so much!
Jody Ohlsen Collins says
Karrilee, I hear the call, too, daily to be with my Jesus in the quiet and the stillness, just to listen. I wrote something in my journal the other day, “I am more ‘me’ when I spend time with Him.” Sounds like his words are sacred echoes here.
Thank you for this beautiful post.
Karrilee Aggett says
Kindred, Jody… I simply cannot wait for October! Thanks so much for saying Hey!
Kim@onerebelheart says
This is just marvelous, Karrilee! Being still in these times feels impossible yet it’s life-giving.
Karrilee Aggett says
It is so life-giving… it seems especially in the seasons when it feels the most impossible, right? God –He’s hysterical like that! 😉
Ellen Chauvin says
Ahhh Karrilee, this makes me want to seek a still quiet place. I loved this: Slow is the new fast, and calm is the new chaos! Joining you today from #RaRaLinkup
Karrilee Aggett says
Thanks so much Ellen! I encourage you to do just that… five minutes… (or more, of course!) I think the most freeing, amazing thing is how little time it actually takes!
Colleen Connell Mitchell says
Thanks, incourage, for bringing us Karrilee’s beautiful heart and words today! You know I am right there with you, friend. Hearing the call to slow down and here him, create with him, trust that he can give me joy that is not less than the pain and the sorrow and the thirst for justice. I love you and your big, gorgeous heart!
Karrilee Aggett says
I love you so much… I mean, honestly girlie… so, so much!
Asheritah Ciuciu says
Karrilee, this is a beautiful post! Yes, I know what you mean. I get frustrated with the silence, but you’re right: God is ever-present even in the quiet. Thanks for this reminder!
Karrilee Aggett says
Thank you, my friend! Praying for you… lean in and listen… He is speaking – He just may not be using words! xoxo
Marie Gregg says
Yay! Such a great post, my lovely friend. Thank you for encouraging all of us to slow down and breathe deeply, cognizant of the presence of God.
Karrilee Aggett says
Ah yes… this reminds me of that worship song (that we sang on Sunday that almost undid me) …the chorus sings out, “It’s Your breath, in our lungs, so we pour out our praise… pour out our praise! …” xoxo Thank you, my friend! So greatful for your encouragement here!
Heather @ My Overflowing Cup says
Love this line: “I’m finding that the quiet must be sought out.”
Isn’t it interesting that we don’t need to look hard to find busyness, but we need to search desperately to live quiet?
Thank you for this beautiful reminder that He is found in the quiet and that we hear His voice in the stillness.
May He continue to fill your cup to overflowing, Karrilee!
Karrilee Aggett says
Thanks so much, Heather! May He fill us both to overflowing!
Ashley Tolins Larkin says
Amen, sister! So good and such gift to see your words here. I, too, am learning to lean into the facets of slow. Love you so much.
Karrilee Aggett says
I love you so, Ashley! Thanks so much! (Summer will be over before we know it… we need to plan a date soon! I will get myself to Portland soon!) xoxo
Deidra says
Loved sharing that time in Nebraska with you, and so grateful for all the ways our time together keeps speaking… XOXO
Karrilee Aggett says
I just can’t even… that time was so special and so rich and – yes – still unfolding! You and God… I would gladly find my way back to Nebraska again to meet with you both! 😉
Jennifer Cleveland says
love this. “I have quiet and yet not silence.” I need His quiet these days! Thanks for your beautiful words.
Karrilee Aggett says
Isn’t that just such a great promise? I have had Him give quiet and silence… there is peace and growth there too – but I am loving the quiet on its’ own, filled with words and insights!
Valerie Hohenberger says
Karrilee, Oh how I needed this posting last week! I am a bit behind in my email but I seem to be catching up somewhat! The enemy has been hitching a ride in my thoughts lately, especially since the “Sepreme Court” ruling and all this nonsence of killings and racial violence. Anyway, I just needed to get back to talking with God and doing more of listening to him and not my feeble human frailties!
Karrilee Aggett says
Oh Valerie, I hear you! Sometimes this world is loud and it can feel like in order to make a difference we must scream to be heard. But I am finding it’s when I get quiet that I hear more clearly – and those things that I am then lead to say can be spoken calmly, in love. Those words are always more powerful, more meaningful, and they tend to speak life. I am so glad this post found you and opened up some room to slow, to breathe, to rest and refocus! We all need that from time to time, amen?
Valerie Hohenberger says
Well, I just had an exhausting week of crazed, school shopping with 3 little boys who have NOT been trained to do anything, except what they want and it was so frustrating, having them run off everywhere, touch everything, hide, scream, pout, stamp their foot, ect.! I truly do not know what their mother and I were thinking, taking all 3 of them at one time! I will be leaning in hard this week to recouperate!!! I was trying to speak in love, in a calm and relaxed tone, but I am afraid that that was not the way the message was recieved. Could it be that their mom needs to lean in a bit for some refreshment? I was speaking with the oldest about peace and quiet and he agreed with me that he savors that time. We are both bookworms!
Karrilee Aggett says
Praying you get some peaceful quiet (and a little reading time thrown in for good measure!) 😉
Guerline Auguste Jean says
Thank you for sharing with me
Karrilee Aggett says
So glad you stopped by!
Beth Williams says
Karilee,
For the last year plus I have hungered for quiet and whitespace. The noise and clang of the world have been too much. I was trying to work a full-time job at a medical clinic and with facilitation from assisted living take care of my aging father who had multiple medical issues including psych. I felt like I was on the proverbial hamster wheel never knowing when the phone would ring. It got so bad I ended up quitting that job June 30 to assist in his care. Since then he has had 4 psych issues and we ended up calling in hospice to help.
I love/nay crave staying home some days and listening to praise music and good Bible teaching. It is so relaxing and refreshing to my soul. I feel refreshed and renewed. Those days I relax, get some chores done, but just basically don’t rush around in this mad crazy world!
Blessings 🙂
Karrilee Aggett says
Oh Beth… praying for you and your father in this season! I am so grateful to God that you are able to take the time and carve out those days to be rested and refreshed! We all need to do this – but I know caring for aging parents – even if they are not having quite so many issues – can be difficult and lonely and draining. So thankful our Father in Heaven is the One who refills and refuels us simply by pouring out His great love! Breathe in rest… exhale worry… He’s got this! He’s got you! Blessings right back, my friend!
Beth Williams says
Thanks!