Grazin Grace: When You’re Quiet and Still

By: Greg A. Lane

I woke up early one fall morning before the sun had risen and in spite of the darkness outside, decided to go ahead and take my regular morning walk. The streetlights were still on in my neighborhood as I walked down the shadowed streets to a wooded area not too far from my home. The first light of morning was just beginning to illuminate the sky as I found a pathway through the woods to an open area. I sat down on a large log and began to spend time quietly meditating and praying in preparation for the day ahead.

Because it was chilly that morning, I had put on a hooded jacket and pulled the hood over my head to keep warm. As I sat there, quiet and still, a very peculiar thing happened. A robin flew down out of a nearby tree and landed on my head. I suppose in the darkness my shadowy silhouette looked like a lifeless stump to the bird. I almost jumped out of my skin when I felt the creature land on my head, and I quickly rose to my feet. I wasn’t the only one who “freaked out” that morning. The startled robin chirped loudly and flew off, wondering what kind of strange stump she had just landed upon. After regaining my composure, I let out a laugh of embarrassed amusement, sat back down on the log and mused about what had just happened. I was reminded of an important fact about nature that morning ... when you’re quiet and still, things come to you.

When my daughter was 3 years old, we were sitting in the grass in our backyard feeding bread crumbs to a small flock of sparrows. She was sitting in my lap. The sparrows were flying in and hopping closer and closer to us as we fed them. I cautioned my daughter, “If you’ll be really quiet and still they will come right up to us to be fed.” She giggled and got more and more excited the closer they came.

She finally couldn’t contain herself any longer. She stood to her feet, reached out her hands toward the birds and exclaimed, “Come here birdie birds!” They were startled by her sudden movement and flew off. With disappointment in her voice, she asked, “Daddy, why did the birds fly away?” I said, “Because you startled them. Birds are afraid of human beings.” To which she replied, “But I’m not a human being ... I’m just a little girl.” That was a precious moment in parenting that I will forever remember.

Yes, nature teaches us that things will come to us when we’re quiet and still. Stray dogs and cats don’t come up close to people who are moving about and making noise ... they come to those who are quiet and still. Chipmunks and squirrels tend to be nervous little critters, but I’ve had them come up right next to me as I’ve been quiet and still. I’ve even had a beautiful red fox come within 15 feet of me when I was being extremely quiet and still. THINGS COME TO YOU WHEN YOU’RE QUIET AND STILL.

Most people these days are looking for peace and tranquility, but it eludes them because they’re always in such a hurry. They’re always moving about, trying to make things happen. They’re constantly “on the go.” They don’t know how to be quiet and still. Their minds are racing continually. They’re always giving voice to the worry and cares within their hearts. But if we will take this lesson we’ve learned from nature and apply it to our everyday lives, there’s an important truth that can be discovered: peace comes to you when you’re quiet and still; ideas come to you when you’re quiet and still; inspiration comes to you when you’re quiet and still; and, most importantly ... God comes to you when you’re quiet and still.

“Be still and know that I am God.” – Psalm 46:10 “ In quietness and trust is your strength” – Isaiah 30:15 (NAS) “ But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.” – Psalm 131:2 (NIV)