Stop what you’re doing and think. Aside from wondering what you should be thinking about, within a short time I venture that most of our thoughts would wander on to any of a variety of details or lists related to our lives. Between work, home, children, friends, appointments, etc., these days it takes extreme mental agility to juggle it all. It wasn’t until a couple of sweet Mormon missionaries came to my doorstep that I realized the catalytic power of a worthwhile question. There was a cold wind hammering my front porch and I was feeling a bit self-conscious standing face to face with two young women dressed in their Sunday best, and I in my Saturday worst. I was bent on politely dismissing them, until one of them asked me what I believe. That’s not something I get asked everyday. Out of a sense of compliance and accommodation, initially I began mentally thumbing through the files in my head (where do I start?), but what began in my head as a mechanical response on par with the presentation of a college thesis, 
quickly moved to a passionate outpouring from my heart and a joyful version of my own personal Apostles’ Creed. I was reminded of the wonder of the living Christ, a personal Savior, and a triune God whose love for me is without limits, even when He goes unacknowledged on more days than I care to admit. Within an instant, the icy cold and my preoccupation with my dumpy sweatshirt and lack of makeup, were utterly overpowered by awe and gratitude. There was power in her question.
I was reading a post on (in)courage, titled NOT a DIY Diva {finding authenticity as keepers of our homes}, a blog post by Melissa of The Inspired Room , presenting a brief summary of her e-book NOT a DIY Diva. It appears to be a worthwhile read, and although the cost is only $3.99, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to win one of five free copies that she was offering in a giveaway. I want the book, I love games, and I love to write, so why not? To enter the giveaway, she asked the reader to leave a comment by completing the sentence When I read some blogs or see people around me who appear to have it all together, I sometimes feel like ____________________. Indirectly, it’s a question. The completion of the sentence read off in my head without pause, and then having filled in the blank, my mind went on to explore and define what that stated fear sounded like in my thoughts:
When I read some blogs or see people around me who appear to have it all together, I sometimes feel like I have nothing to offer. It’s the classic Moses syndrome. “Who, me? Our friends wouldn’t really want to come to our little 1950′s ranch home with it’s long list of deferred maintenance. Their house is beautiful and flawless.” “Publish this? There are a gazillion other blogs out there. What can I say that hasn’t been said already and far more eloquently than I ever could?” “Create? I don’t know if I have an original thought in my head. What if I accidentally make something that is too much like someone else’s, or even worse, what if someone thinks I’m copying them?” “Just put me in a corner with a quiet little task that carries little or no risk.” Seriously! They feel like valid concerns, but sound completely ridiculous once they’re out of my head. It’s a frustrating daily battle to lay these thoughts aside, dare to move, and believe that God has purposes for me that might just exceed my limited expectations.
Her prompt allowed me to articulate my feelings and expose them to a dose of rational thought, and it is in that place that I was empowered to take those thoughts captive, and press on despite my fears. In an instant, an ordinary giveaway and my desire to have a little creative fun, became a spotlight on my weakness, and a catalyst for change. There was power in her question.
I think both experiences highlight the importance of taking the time to pause and think, and by extension illustrate the importance of a regular quiet time, this is coming from someone who has struggled to carve that time out for most of my life. I knew it was something I should do, as any good Christian girl does, but life has a way of screaming for our attention and, as a friend of ours says, “Jesus is a gentleman.” He doesn’t scream for our attention. He waits patiently. He doesn’t ask us to come, because we should. He asks us to come because He is good and He is life, and it is in the quiet that we can hear the questions. Sometimes we ask them. Sometimes He asks them. But in either event, power is unleashed to change us into the person we are designed to be.
Tomorrow I will discuss some strategies that I have found effective for finding the focus and simplicity I need for a daily quiet time.
