When Life Feels Loud

On Saturday morning, I got up and made muffins. We had some overly ripe bananas, no longer good for eating but perfect for baking. It was a crisp morning in the 40s, and the sun was shining brightly.

There is something about baking that helps slow me down - the systematic work of gathering ingredients, reading the directions, and then assembling everything step by step helps me to be present to that exact moment in time.

My mind has been distracted a lot lately. There is a lot of transition happening in our lives this year, which leads to a lot of unknowns. While I’ve been learning to make peace with the unknowns more readily in recent years, a part of me still longs for the comfort of knowing things.

A few years ago, I took the CliftonStrengths assessment and discovered that my top strength is input. At the time, I didn’t know much about it, but as I read through the information, it resonated with me deeply. For me, input is about gathering information. It is about being curious, asking questions, doing extensive reading on various topics, and then being able to connect that information to the world around me.

Knowing this about myself helps me understand my deep longing for answers to the unknowns in my life. I want to be able to read a book or do some research and make a game plan about what to do next. And yet, often, a big part of the journey is the unknowns.

I’ve been through seasons full of transition before, and I am reminded that they are just that - seasons.

This is a moment in time, albeit a long moment, and it isn’t going to last forever. And yet, in this season, I sense that the amount of information I’m taking in needs to decrease.

So instead of trying to research my way to a solution, I’m choosing to embrace activities that keep me grounded in the present.

Crafting has been super life-giving in this season. Sitting down and creating something - whether a piece of embroidery, a crocheted stuffed animal, or a punch needle project - helps my mind and my body settle down. Each of these projects has a rhythmic pace. Step by step, moving from nothing to something, one stitch at a time.

Creating something, whether baked goods or a piece of art, helps me be fully present to the moment. I can breathe deeply, and all the thoughts flitting through my head, longing for answers, quiet.

Even when I feel distracted, Jesus isn’t bothered by my noisy mind. Instead, he keeps inviting me to slow down in ways that make sense for the season of life I’m in.

Part of the beauty of walking with Jesus is that our journey doesn’t always look the same. Jesus is constant. His love for me is constant. His care for me is constant. But how we connect with one another is full of variety.

Even when I long to know the answers to things that will only be known years from now, Jesus reminds me to be present today. He reminds me to slow down, not be in a hurry for the next steps, and to trust him.

If your mind is feeling especially noisy in this season, what might it look like to find work to do with your hands to help you slow down and settle your mind and body?  

~  Melissa