dailydatewithgod

When we hear someone tell another person to hush it is not usually in a kind tone unless it is to a baby.  Something about how the word sounds coming out of our mouths alone conveys the end result we are looking for.  It is like a warm stroke on the arm guiding us to calm down. We picture a mother holding her child and rocking her.  It it is spoken harshly it feels like a slap, which is probably why it is not received well.  If someone were to say be still we would most likely take it as a direction.  Perhaps this is why we have so many words to convey the same idea in the English language.  While I know it is confusing for those who come to English through translation and different cultures, it is beautiful the way it can shape our experience depending how we use it. Language is powerful. Language conjures up images and allows us to craft stories.  Our words and word choices are what shape our perception and thus our reality.  If I think about my daily date with God, I like the idea of it being hush time as much as still time.  They are essentially the same in meaning and principal but I am much more likely to picture a nurturing experience of God’s presence if it is hush time.  And yet sometimes our dates are more like still time where I am in God’s presence but not leaning in to him.  When we reach our breaking point we need a God with whom we can have hush time.  A God who will hold us like a beloved child, sing to us and whisper reminders of how much we are loved.  Yet even in those most needed times I may be reluctant to allow such an intimate experience in.  I may be willing to open to still time where I sense the strength of God’s presence holding me up.  I ask God for the courage to embrace the hush of his love and the still power of her presence however I am in need of it in the moment I am in.