Five Minute Friday: Quiet

Posted on by Marie

in quietness and in trust shall be your strength...

Gentle Reader,

I missed my people.

I don’t regret retreating from this space. Obedience is always good, even when it’s hard. It always feels right. But while it’s freeing, in this season, to focus on other words in other places, I miss joining the #FMFParty chat with regularity. (Yes, I know it’s only been two weeks). I miss interacting with them and you. I even miss opening that vein that all writers cut time and time again, spilling it across the page for public consumption.

That’s what happens when you release the good for the better. You miss the good. And that’s okay, because it’s still there. Something to come back to, even if it’s not exactly the same.

Tonight Kate moves us to discuss: quiet.

Go.

Public platforms, no matter how small, require noise.

And so going quiet was a conscious decision to trust in the Lord and His timing.

I thought I’d be further along on this writing path than I am. Fifteen years ago, if I imagined being in my early thirties at all, surely there published books or a respected career as journalist involved in the dreaming. That’s the thing – I could have done it. Oh, not the published book part. But the journalism part, that was realistic. I was on that track. I would have been successful. There’s no boasting involved here. I had wanted to write for a newspaper for years. Pursue the stories. Break the news. I had the talent and the drive.

Then God.

Didn’t recognize Him at the time. Didn’t see the graceful motions of His hands, ushering me onto the road He had designed for me.

A quiet road.

By degrees He has made me smaller. I have worried, wondered, if this means lesser. But what is “lesser” in the Kingdom of God? “Lesser” is meaningless when considered in the light of glory. His fame, His name, is what matters. Mine will blow away like the dust, remembered by few, if any at all. Once, this frightened me. Now…I wonder if there is not untold richness and blessing in obscurity. In the letting go of one’s ego, He becomes bigger. Not that He is ever not larger than everything. I simply get out of my own way and begin to see, just a little, how grand He truly is.

So I turn my energy to this other project, one that may only be seen by Him alone. I trust Him. I have faith that even if the tapping and the researching and the editing and the beginning again are nothing more than an exercise of faith that it will be worth it. Even if my headshot never appears on a glossy cover. Even if I’m never recognized by anyone “important.”

I go quiet here to be louder there and even that may be silence in the end.

But He knows.

Stop.

My journey to faith. (15)

28 thoughts on “Five Minute Friday: Quiet”

  2. Beautiful words, Marie. I studied journalism for awhile in college…but I didn’t like the idea of barging in on people in trauma and asking them questions (I know that’s not what all journalists do, but when you’re 18 and in a newspaper writing class, that’s what it seems like!). I’m learning to let God shape my words and my writing–I honestly don’t know where it’s headed (if anywhere).

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    1. How interesting that we have this in common!

      Your words speak life to all who read them. Your love for the Lord shines brightly. Your advocacy for those who struggle with health problems, both mental and physical, stands like a sturdy lighthouse in the midst of the storm. I appreciate you!

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  3. Love reading your words here, Marie. The quiet road is traveled by many of us as God calls us there. I learned much on the quiet road, and am thankful for my time on it. I’d love to see your head shot on a glossy cover! You go, girl!

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  5. Love! I didn’t realize that our stories have that in common. My degree is in communications with an English minor. But then God….led me straight to seminary. Yes may we be quiet so we can be louder for God. I’m over in the #7 spot this week.

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  6. Marie, I’m so glad to see you! I’ve gone quiet in certain places because God focused me, my words, to other places. I know that every time I stop by your place, I’m going to come away with much to think about. You’ve done that again, my friend.

    And this—”In the letting go of one’s ego, He becomes bigger.” I loved it. Obscurity isn’t a bad thing. When we let go of our self-importance and point people to Him, He becomes bigger in our hearts and in others’ hearts.

    Have a great weekend!

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    1. Glad to see you, too!

      Letting go of the good for the better is tough. I get used to God directing me a certain way. When He changes it up, there’s definitely some panic on my part. “But what if…?” Thankfully, He is patient!

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  7. So I turn my energy to this other project, one that may only be seen by Him alone. I trust Him. I have faith that even if the tapping and the researching and the editing and the beginning again are nothing more than an exercise of faith that it will be worth it. Even if my headshot never appears on a glossy cover. Even if I’m never recognized by anyone “important.”

    I love your post for many, many reasons, Marie. O! How I spent years striving so be glad you have learned this at a young age. I am incredibly content where the Lord has brought me. I write and self-publish books because He told me to. No grandeur. Just complete obedience to Him, always doing the “next thing”. That little phrase, although some consider it silly? Is probably the most powerful sentence we can do in the Kingdom. “Just do the next thing.” Selah. Amen. Glad I came over today.

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    1. I love that! “Just do the next thing.”

      I don’t know that I’ve learned to cease striving. This is something that the Lord and I go round and round on. But each time I see a little more clearly that doing as He says is always the best. That letting go of my plans and latching on to His brings me the joy and fulfillment I crave. I’m glad He’s patient with my slow learning process!

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  8. Thanks for sharing! I can relate – just turned 30 and thought I would have “done something” by now. I’m also trying to faithful in the lesser and surrender my desire for my definition of success.

    I visited from FMF and really like your blog design and writing!

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    1. Hello, Denise!

      Isn’t it funny how we want to “do something” and yet we’ve probably been “doing something” all along? God sees all of the little choices, the small moments of obedience, that add up to greater things. We may not achieve success by the world’s standards, but none of that will matter in the end anyway.

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  10. What a beautiful heart you have, Marie. Definitely in the right place. May God grant you the desires of your heart, and may His glory continue to shine through you. So glad to see you this week. Blessings and grace to you in this season of quiet.

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  11. Well said Marie, and I can totally identify! I closed my business of 20 years due to health issues with back/neck. I have felt as if I lost my identity, and part of it I did lose. The independent part. I’ve come to realize that it’s in Him that we must rest. His Independence! I wrote my first blog titled “The Foundation, A Door, and A window thats all that remain” at almost two weeks ago. I invite you to check it out because you can probably identify with it. I’m hopeful of being able to help encourage other Christians. That’s the whole purpose of this blogging outreach. We must adjust our attitude like Joseph did while in the pit. He looked for God in every situation and we must do so also. Keep on seeking His guidance and He will direct your path:)

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      2. Hey there Marie, I clicked the link above and for some reason it spells out the dot.net with my Godsfruitful, so when you try to visit it, just try to manually type in Godsfruitful.net. Thanks:))

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