Life wonder and lists put away, sometimes a silence needs to take their place and be replaced with a refocused peace.

Life runs out of control somedays: going, reading, crafting, eating. Things that must be, will be, should be done by, before or on such and such day fill our lists with stressful mutterings of the time to be had and the time needed.

We wander back and forth with aimless purpose as we purposefully complete our lists, assignments and must-be-dones. We are purposeful in our life leading, but aimless in our life growing. Our crossed off list may sing songs of joy to our overwhelmed and out of focus minds, but they will not touch the depths of our souls and fill us with a longed for well-being. The list may be completed, but in the end it has no purpose. Its function has passed its expiration date and we have gained nothing from it and are still as empty and aimless as before.

Today I found myself in silence. I turned off the music. I sat as my brain began to unwind from the tangle of accomplishing that builds throughout the day. The moment revealed to me a sense of my tiredness and the wandering purposeless purposefulness that occurs each day in my endless lists of life and living. I also found that latent desire to wait on God and listen to see what he has for me/us/Him through this season of Christmas and what might be on His to-do list for me.

During this season as we wait for Christmas I’m going to give myself a silent moment each day. Perhaps the thoughts unwound will be rewound with a little of God’s purpose and less of mine.  And that moment of reprieve from my lists will allow a place of listening and receptive wonder in God’s presence.

I challenge you to pause a moment, sit in silence, allow yourself five minutes each day free from your lists. Allow God to grow your heart and mind in that moment of re-vision and move on with your day, peace filled and more aware of God with us who is the Emmanuel.