Get the appJOURNEY WITH a GIANT: Drawing Closer to GodНамуна
QUIETNESS AND TRUST
Isaiah 30:15 tells us, “In quietness and trust is your strength” (NIV). The psalmist urges us to “be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10, NIV) and we learn from Elijah to wait silently for God’s “gentle whisper” (1 Kings 19:12, NIV).
Fred Rogers embraced the beauty and power of silence. In fact, one of his most notable contributions and lasting legacies was the way he brought silence to a noisy world. He regularly practiced silent, centering prayer. In his leisure time, he lived a quiet life through his pursuits of reading, swimming, and reflection. He included moments of silence in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. And when he was asked to speak at the White House, he began his presentation by inviting the group to pause for ten seconds of silence. He then asked the audience to think of someone who had made a positive impact on their lives and to offer silent gratitude for that person.
Over the last few years, God has consistently been directing me to embrace silence and slowness. I seem to encounter these terms everywhere—from books and sermons to Bible study and personal experiences. So I shouldn’t have been surprised to find them again, this time in the first chapter of Amy Hollingsworth’s book The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers, where she cited silence as the foundation of Fred’s spiritual life. What a revelation that was to me as I listened to this passage while making dinner one evening. Before I began my journey with Mister Rogers, I had no idea these two characteristics were hallmarks of how he lived. God was adding another layer to the crafting He wanted to do in my soul.
Nothing in our lives happens by chance. Every person we meet and every experience we have are divine threads of the plan God is weaving throughout our lives. When you see consistent themes emerge on your journey, open your eyes and ears and receive what He is sending your way. These reemerging topics are evidence of your faithful Father fulfilling His promises that “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6, NIV).
In what ways has God been calling you to more times of silence or peace in your life? How will you respond?
About this Plan
One way we can pursue our purpose and deepen our relationship with God is to learn from the “cloud of witnesses” we read about in Hebrews—spiritual giants who have gone before us and stand in heaven cheering us on. Mister Fred Rogers has served as one of those spiritual giants in my life. This week we’ll look at how Mister Rogers’s heart for service can point us back to God.
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