Peace Still Exists - my home town - Merbein Common, the mighty Murray River
The weather has yet again changed as I’m sitting here in Brisbane, hot and sticky. Walking late in the morning is uncomfortable. To stay well during travel, you need to look after yourself. Foods are different, times you eat are different and even the clothes you wear are different. A lot of change in such a short amount of time. A walk in the open air is refreshing and restorative. This is what I want to share. What is on my heart as I walk in suburbia.
I recently watched a movie “August Rush”, I’m not a movie watcher in general, but during my time of grief, it’s enabled me to sit and reflect, and more often than not…CRY.. which is what the heart needs. This movie got me thinking, the young orphan boy “August Rush”, could hear the sounds of the air, his environment. He would walk around suburbia and conduct the atmosphere, the chirp of a bird, in sync with a clap of car tyre hitting a drain, the beep of crossing lights. All in unison with the beat of the city, late in the day. He allows all the sounds, both loud and quiet, offensive and soft, to come into alignment with the beat of his heart.
When I went out for a walk the next morning, I walk without extra noise, for example, no headphones, no phone calls, and I listened to the day. As I traversed town, sweating and not as swift as I could, I took the time for my heart to feel, see and sense the environment around me. I heard the sounds; I felt the sticky air and I noticed the foreigners unfamiliar to me. I’ve noticed that whilst we walk/exercise etc, that people will often fill the opportunity to ‘be’ in an environment, with more noise, to block out the reality in which they live. This fills our minds with noise, which becomes more difficult for God to speak. As we allow other people’s podcasts, etc to talk to us and shape our thinking.
I recently drove 4 and a half hours to the Gold Coast, without the radio on, and realized again I’m hearing the sounds around me. Yes, there are sounds outside of the peace and quiet of nature, the hum of the car and road noises. But the quiet hum of the car restores your soul, the drive is like lying by still waters. No-one can interrupt your space, although I don’t always spend this time in prayer or even hearing from God. I know that the quiet is full of calm and peace, restoring a mind that often finds itself over crowded.
We spend time filling the quiet of our lives with music, I watch my those around me. The phone is constantly with them, watching youtube etc, or a friend jogs by with their iPod in, all in a hurry. I’ve spent the last 3 months travelling, but what you probably don’t realize, is I’ve spent much of it doing – nothing. Watching the snow fall, watching the clouds roll in, taking in the sounds of the birds and traffic. Rushing and running doesn’t have to be exhausting. Giving your body time to rest and restore itself in the midst of haste is important.
I’ve put writing this aside for a hectic weekend intensive for work and have reread what I wanted to write. To find myself pleasantly pleased, actually quite surprised, as I sit inside, over looking water, calming my soul once again.
Soothing our soul, in a world of busyness, is eased by leaning into the sounds of heaven, the peace and stillness He has to offer, this is far more relaxing, and exists beyond the sounds we manufacture. Thankful I live in such a beautiful place and spend time in such calming environments. Some like the rush of the sea, I love the calm of the river. Which ever it is, find your space, fill it with the sounds that allow your heart to beat again.
Suzie
On the journey of grief
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