I don’t know about you, but there are times I want to shut the noise down that is happening all around me. I’ve realized it’s sensory overload, and sitting in quiet is what I need emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

Right now, off in the distance, I hear the hammering and noise associated with my husband tearing out the old walls to create our new kitchen. Not only is he taking out the old cabinets, but he’s removing the old lathe and plaster so he can get to the bones of the kitchen. Once he gets there, he’s replacing the old wiring and plumbing and shoring up the framing itself. This work is the foundational work needed to ensure our 110-year-old home is safe, sturdy, and secure.

As he began to tear out the old, he found some issues that need to be addressed for our home to be healthy. Isn’t that like our spirit too? We are also changing the kitchen layout so that it can be functional and beautiful all at the same time. What I know of the work my husband does, by the way, he’s a general contractor :), when he’s done, it will be beyond what I could imagine and a work of beauty. (Be sure to follow me on Instagram @authorkristinclouse or like my Facebook page Author Kristin Clouse to see our progress)

Here’s the thing; work is noisy, hard, and comes with many surprises. What I have found in the middle of all this mess of our restoration is that we need to rest and find quiet so we can address our spiritual needs. If we focus only on the hard work, the mess, we get overwhelmed. Taking a pause, a break, and focusing on self-care is vital to our health. Our spiritual needs and growth are part of self-care. God, the Master Carpenter, is here to do work within each of us.

The scripture that is the forefront of my heart, mind, and spirit today is this:

Be still and know that I am God. Psalms 46:10

In the stillness, in the quiet places, God desires to whisper to our spirit the deep revelations we so desperately need to hear.

Today, let’s turn off the noise and tune our ears and spirit to God’s voice. God has something powerful and life-giving to speak to each of us today.