Earthquakes, trauma – and silences that erase
Any eerie, uneasy silence that minimizes or denies an earthquake - or any other trauma someone is facing - shouts to those willing to hear: Look deeper. Ask, Why?
Any eerie, uneasy silence that minimizes or denies an earthquake - or any other trauma someone is facing - shouts to those willing to hear: Look deeper. Ask, Why?
God is hunting for hearts. “Not hearts of paper and lace,” he says. “I’m seeking human hearts that are open, tender, alive.”
Darkness can increase disorientation. It can increase anxiety and depression. Can something similar be true spiritually? Can spiritual sundowner’s be a thing?
Today, I’m standing in the middle of a road that leads to a bridge out, sounding a cry I’ve sounded before. I’m seeking with all my heart to echo what the Lord has cried out to me when he's found me hurtling down this road. And also, I’m seeking to express what God has taught me as I've cried back to him, “I’m trying! But it’s impossible! I cannot stop!”
Something deep within me cries to be unflappable. But, as this incident from years ago reminds me, flapping can lead to laughing.
As we come to him, our Lord shows us: “Rest? It restores.” He teaches us a new rhythm that calms our life down and turns it around – an unforced rhythm that brings our soul back from the exhaustion where frenzy and fear rule.
Here's a gentle reminder to myself.
I’ve updated Return to Your Rest, and included a chapter about enemies of rest I have faced. May God give us courage to rise up in the face of all that fights against it - and to return to rest.