Orphan and Widow

"Better is a hand full of quietness than two hands full of toiling and striving after the wind."

~Ecclesiastes 4:6

I am discovering quite a few "jewels" of Scripture as I read through Ecclesiastes. I do not think I have read it many times because there is much in the book that I do not understand or I have difficulty following. However, I would not mind reading it again after this because I have seen God open my eyes to passages in it that I don't think I have understood in the past. I especially like the above verse because it speaks to my heart on quietness...a virtue I have been working to intentionally cultivate in my life for quite some time, but especially recently.

I have found myself becoming quite the busy-body lately and know that my "things to do" list will only lengthen once the baby is here. With this constant busyness, I have also become increasingly grateful for my moments of quietness and have tried to become more intentional with planning these into my schedule. For instance, after working several days in a row, I have found that I need just about a full day "to myself" in order to debrief and unwind. The hospital is such an overstimulating place with all the alarms and noises, not to mention the constant interaction with people who are asking something of you, whether it be a peice of information, a peice of paper, or a peice of yourself in meeting all the overwhelming needs of patients in the ICU. So, quietness is a necessity on that first day off- time to reflect, collect my thoughts, regroup, and remind myself of what is truly important in my life. It is not the list I "must" hurry and make first thing upon arising in the morning, or all that I "must" accomplish in the day or the week.


Quietness is lying in bed, being slowly awakened by the kicks of life in my belly...life that God has created and has purposed. His goodness, promises, and mysteries just waiting to be unfolded.


The soft little kicks remind me of his gentle soft knocking on the door to my heart, saying, "I have good things in store for you today...listen quietly and trust me...the mystery is yet to unfold." And the mystery is yet to unfold...I don't need to plan it...and I don't need to execute it. I am just along for the ride, to enjoy the scenery of God's goodness in this life. However, if I do not make quietness a virtue in my heart, then I will miss all the wonderful things He has in store to show me today. I will be toiling after the wind instead of enjoying it's soft breeze upon my face.

Here is to a day of Quietness...