Home Tools for your Journey Feb 16

Monday, February 16

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel;
In returning and rest you shall be saved;
in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.

—Isaiah 30:15

I write this from a place my husband and I have visited at least ten times—a quiet resort called (appropriately) Enchantment, in Sedona, Arizona. In a deep canyon, surrounded by high red rock cliffs, the adobe casitas we stay in blend naturally into the landscape. It is so quiet here that we can listen to the wind blow through the trees and birds calling to each other after a light rain.

The first time I came here, it seemed like home, and every time I return, I feel that same sense of peace and contentment that I rarely find anywhere else. Here I am able to shed anxieties, schedules, and concerns, and the tiredness I bring with me almost melts away in the first twenty-four hours. I read, write, rest—and pray.

This area is known for its high-energy "vortices," but I find these long canyons and red rocks deeply restful. When I read this passage from Isaiah, I thought how profoundly true the words are: in quietness and trust shall be your strength. Here, in a physical beauty that defies description, quietness is appropriate. Quietness, for me, is the surest pathway into the heart of God, so no wonder this feels like home! It is the way we are meant to feel as children of a loving God.

Where are the places that you find quietness? Every time I leave Sedona, I promise myself that I will create a Quiet Place at home, but then I allow all the distracting noises to lure me back into my all too busy life. Maybe this year will be different; this blessed quietness and rest are too valuable to lose.

Gracious God, give us the strength to change our hectic lives and to make resting places where we may be still. Amen.

These Signposts originally appeared on explorefaith in 2006.