Today's Meditation
Read Psalm 131
1O Lord, my heart is not lifted up, my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.
2But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.
3O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time on and forevermore.
This psalm is one of the shortest psalms in the Book of Psalms. It consists of only three verses, but there is one line that I want to focus on today.
"But I have calmed and quieted my soul..."
A young baby has a very limited ability to express its needs and desires. One of those primary needs is to be fed. In order to get the mother's attention, the child cries, as the hunger within demands satisfaction. And only at the mother's breast is that hunger satisfied. As the child grows and is weaned from its mother's milk, it has also learned how to communicate better. The hunger within no longer builds to the point of demand resulting in a crying or wailing outburst in order to get attention, and the child expresses its need in new ways. It is (usually) calmer, quieter in its request, "Mom, I'm hungry" or earlier on, "mmm...", or some other guttural expression.
When life seems to be out of control, it is important to calm and quiet the raging waters within. As adults, we need to listen more carefully to our own spirits and souls within us to find ways of quieting and calming them long before that raging water overwhelms us. To be honest, I'm not good at this and I'm still learning. Often times, I end up more like the unweaned child with my soul crying out for attention.
What are the cues your soul or spirit gives you that you need to pay attention to?
What calms your soul, what quiets your spirit?
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