Finding joy in the quiet

To be quiet … not to be distracted by the noise of the day. It’s not just about silence.

Joy can be found in the quiet if we are deliberate about our focus. Anxious thoughts and the voice of chaos keep us distracted and exhausted. Do you have those in your life? I sure do.

My high school teacher, Mr. Purvis, recently shared this quote with me. “To dwell on the past is to court depression. To dwell on the future is to court anxiety.” Oh, my goodness, is that not profound? THIS is the reason we are to live in the moment. THIS is why I have learned to seek joy in the quiet morning of my day.

Did you know that moments of joy awaken endorphins (happy hormones) in your body, acting as natural feel-good chemicals that can improve your mood and put you in a positive state of mind?

I’ve written about getting up early, before the sun peeks in my kitchen window. I sit at my kitchen table, sipping my Highlander Grogg coffee with a bit of Chobani Sweet Cream and basking in the quiet. When I start my day with this ritual, I am happier.

My mother would sit on her front porch and rock in her rocking chair. She once told me that as you get older, you appreciate the sounds you hear when you are quiet. She loved listening to the birds, the laughter of the neighborhood kids, and the dueling lawnmowers of her neighbors who seemed to synchronize their mowing.

Mom said that when you are quiet, you can smell the scent of flowers in a way you usually ignore. That is something to ponder.

It has taken me years to perfect my ability to embrace the quiet.

Those happy hormones also give me a sense of peace. I’m not struggling to figure out what I should be doing. The moments of quiet contemplation as I read from my Bible and one of my devotional books set the tone of my day.

You’re my place of quiet retreat. I wait for you to renew me. Psalm 119:114 (The Message)

Have you ever considered why the 23^rd Psalm says, “He leads me beside still waters”? God wants us to rest and be still. You may be like I used to be and wake up ready to tackle your day like a Kung Fu fighter.

When I wake up and hear in my mind, “Lady, start your engine,” and I’m off to the races of the day, I will find myself overwhelmed and tired before I even put on my running shoes. I do not run, but if you ever see me running, please know that a bee or a clown is chasing me. I fear both.

Learning to be quiet at the beginning of my day has been life-changing.

After reading my devotion, I often play an old hymn or a worship song. CeCe Winans recently sang a song on American Idol; I’m telling you, she took me to church. You are missing out on a blessing if you haven’t heard her sing “Come Jesus Come.” Oh, the sweet joy of the rivers of Grace of which she sings.

Starting my day like this gives me strength and focus. Did you know that feeling joyful gives us strength?

In the quiet, I welcome God into my day. Something about His presence casts out fear and discouragement, even if my prayers aren’t answered, even in the waiting, even though the day is hard, He walks with me as a shepherd tends to his sheep; God tends to me.

You can choose to believe or not, but I’ve been on the frontlines of life’s fiercest battles, and I know that starting my day with a time of quiet helps prepare me for whatever the day throws at me.

Joy is a shield. My faith holds the shield in front of me. Where there is joy, there is hope. Joy untangles the messiness of my hardest days. Don’t think for a minute I don’t have them.

I will continue to find joy in the quiet of my early mornings and on my back porch while rocking. I can hear my mother saying, “I told you so.”

Janet Hart Leonard can be contacted at janethartleonard@gmail.com or followed on Facebook or Instagram (@janethartleonard). Visit janethartleonard.com.