Traci Michele Photography

Photography

Quiet Enough To Hear Him Speak

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We live in a world where
more is better,
faster is craved,
and stillness is feared.
Our minds are blowing up with
social media feeds,
insta-stories,
pinterest boards,
and reality television.
Fulfill your dreams
is the message engraved onto our souls,
and with that lie,
comes a whole lot of
insecurity, doubt, and fear.
The problem with the message fulfill your dreams,
is the inability to be content with today.
With that message comes
the false cliff notes written on our hearts:
You’re not enough…
Keep striving and then…
Once you attain your dreams you’ll be happy…
What if God’s dream for you and I is to be ordinarily beautiful and unseen?
I believe in goals and the pursuit of something greater.
It gives us purpose in this life and something to work towards.
Measurable results can be a good thing!
But, we are forgetting the lost art of being still and finding contentment with the mundane.
We are choosing to find our worth in checklists, perfect eyebrow tutorials and vegan meal planning.
Instead of telling myself to work towards my dreams,
I want to work towards God’s heart and dream for me today.
Obedience brings fruit and peace.
It doesn’t always look pretty and it takes faith in the waiting.
We don’t have to wonder what His plan for us is,
we just have to open His Word (and believe/receive it).

BE QUIET

You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. – 1 Peter 3:4

BE STILL

 The Lord will fight for you, and you can be still.  Exodus 14:14
Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.  Psalm 46:10

BE CALM

Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself,
    like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk.
    Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me. Psalm 131:2

BE QUIET

Do your best to live a quiet life. Learn to do your own work well. We told you about this before. 1 Thessalonians 4:11

 BE PATIENT

But they who wait upon the Lord will get new strength. They will rise up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weak. Isaiah 40:31

BE IN THE WORD

You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3

BE AN IMITATOR OF JESUS

 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2

BE IN HIS PRESENCE LONG ENOUGH TO EXPERIENCE HIM SING OVER YOU

For the Lord your God is living among you.
    He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With his love, he will calm all your fears.
    He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.  – Zephaniah 3:17
If you are drowning in the noise of the world today,
I pray this gives you a fresh shot of hope.
May you know that the beauty of His presence is enough.

It is enough.

You are beautiful and chosen by Him.
He has great plans for you today
(which may only look like dishes and picking up toys to you),
BUT TO GOD IT’S A GLORIOUS DANCE
OF HIS GRACE AND SINGING
OVER YOUR TODAY.
Rest in the joy of His presence.

Comments

  1. Traci, you spoke the very heart of my 60-day sabbatical! The social media feeds, false cliff notes and noisiness of my own thoughts forced me to really dive into “the art of being still.” I think we will find true satisfaction and contentment in seeking and trusting God’s dream for us. Welcome to Fresh Market Friday…what a treat to read this post!