Stillness Feel the Comfort, Joy and Peace of the Season

I love the hustle and bustle of Christmas time. I take delight in the many events, traditions, and preparations unique to this time of year. It is easy, however, for me to allow these good things to turn into too much busyness. Today, I have been contemplating how to better incorporate into my life the beauty of the silence and stillness of that night when the Christ Child was born.

So, I have been thinking about “stillness.” The dictionary explains that stillness is the absence of motion or sound. Yet stillness I believe is much more. Stillness is an attribute of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and is a spiritual gift that we each can develop.

When I practice stillness, I pause and breathe slowly until my soul is quiet. I leave the outer world of emotions and anxious thoughts behind so I can hear my inner stirrings. That is when I feel calm, that is when I see how God sees me, and that is when I know who I am. I understand better my path in life. When I am still, I let go and trust in the Savior and His gospel, this gives me a sense of confidence and I feel the comfort, joy, and peace of the Christmas season.

The following quote is a beautiful way to look at stillness.

“If, as Herod, we fill our lives with things, and again with things; if we consider ourselves so unimportant that we must fill every moment of our lives with action, when will we have the time to make the long, slow journey across the desert as did the Magi? Or sit and watch the stars as did the shepherds? Or brood over the coming of the child as did Mary? For each one of us, there is a desert to travel. A star to discover. And a being within ourselves to bring to life.”   – Author unknown.

It is my hope today that as each of us get ready to celebrate the birth of our Savior, we will discern His gift of stillness. I believe it is through learning to cultivate this spiritual gift that we can each travel our desert, discover our star, and bring to life our true self.

ehq