Creating a place of peace
I recently heard a podcast that said a quiet house was a house inviting for the Holy Spirit.
Now I don't know about you but I'm pretty sure "quiet" has never been a word to describe the four Wang girls.... and yes, I include myself in that grouping because as my husband likes to remind me, I basically cloned myself three times when giving birth.
We aren't a tender, quiet group. Known to wrestle, squabble and laugh so loudly we snort - my girls and I embrace the louder, more colorful side of life.
We're more Merida than Snow White.
More category six rapids than gentle streams for deer to drink from.
Okay, now I'm just being silly.
Seriously though when I heard that podcast I was like "Wait, what?" I want a home that is inviting and peaceful and restful .... so how do we create that in a home also full of life!?
Simple.
I created my Peaceful Place. I created a corner that is my very own, to find and reconnect with Peace.
If you're like me and yearning for a little space to find and connect with peace, here's how I did it.
Then you can make these easy steps your own to create your place of peace in your home:
Find a spot that you can keep "quiet" at all times - can you give up a corner of the bedroom, have a large walk-in closet, or a guest room that goes unused? I converted a corner of my sunroom to be my Peaceful Place.
Make it your own - I included lots of sunlight, books, plants and snuggly blankets for me to fully embrace comfy in my Peaceful Place. Maybe you want pictures of your family around you, or need your ear buds close by for music? Whatever it is, you need to find peace, then make sure it is there, within reach.
Commit to times when you will sit in your space and stay there. It might help to give your kids a heads up that when you're in your chair/closet/Peaceful Place - they need to let you have that time and you promise to attend to them once you are finished. (Then you have to actually leave your Peaceful Place at some time when it's time. ;) )
Have several things to aid you in your time. Perhaps you're working through a devotional book or want to meditate? Having tools nearby can help guide you so that you're not feeling like you're wasting your time. Trust me, sitting still will at first feel like wasted time. Our culture has taught us that not producing something is wasting and so at all times we're trying to prove that we are being productive and being useful to society. Turn off that negative voice and sit.
Incorporate some silence into your time. Silence is so so hard but it is so so good. Silence is necessary for us to cut through the noise of the world, and the chaos and connect with the Small Quiet Voice of our Creator God. Start small. If you're uncomfrtoable with silence, start with five minutes and set a timer. I started with ten minutes and have been known to peek at the time because even ten minutes can feel sooooooo long.
Set a daily call to Peace - like the monks have their daily bells to call them to prayer, set a timer every day to go off at the same time every day and no matter where you are - commit to peace. When I'm at home, I go into my corner and try to give myself ten minutes of silence. When I'm at the grocery store, I'll hit my alarm, say a prayer for God's presence & peace and continue searching for produce. My alarms go off at 10AM & 2PM but you do what you need to do.
It's not about being perfect, it is simply about making more room for us to quiet the noise and overwhelm that has become so normal for us we don't even realize it.
This is a gift the garden has given to me.
It can be so quiet in the garden and although I have been known to take playlists, podcasts and other helpful tools to help me - I find, most times, I turn it all off and simply breathe.
Comment and tell me - where do you find peaceful?
Resources for when you are in your Place of Peace:
