I woke up thinking about life’s simple things, and why it is so important to remove all the distractions and chaos and allow some quiet into our lives.

At the moment, I am wrapped up in a big fluffy blanket and sitting in a wingback by the biggest window wall. Temps are in the 30’s here in Mississippi this morning, but I am warm as I write.

Life needs this quiet time each day.

I can’t quite handle the “real” world’s chaos and political blustering anymore. The media clamors for attention with misplaced self righteousness and blame, all the while adding to the noise. I’ve stopped listening. Just thinking about it makes me feel anxiety, so I take a deep breath, and let it go again. Spending ten years of my life trying to keep the world at bay changed me. I learned to banish chaos.

Turning my attention instead to the wood out front and all its inhabitants, I wait for the birds and other wildlife to appear.

I’m hoping the deer come by today and wander through the trees and clearing. To see the smaller ones with white spots trail their mothers as they forage for lunch is a heart warming sight. Beside me, my little dog Janie looks up for a second and I give her a soft ear rub. It feels good to sit in the silent room with just my dogs’ occasional sighs as they turn over or readjust.

My big dog Darcy is lying with her head on my feet. Meanwhile, Janie is snuggled up next to me with barely enough room for her little body between me and the arm of the chair. On a small table next to me, hot tea steeps and sends the fragrance of lemons into the expanse of the room.

Leaning my head back, I notice the light patterns as the morning moves ever so slightly across the wall and floors. A few cardinals flutter about in the leaves outside and Darcy pricks her ears up. She tilts her head as if to say, “Is that something new?”

Closing my eyes for a moment, I listen as she listens.

I hear a dog barking off in the distance, and not much more.

We sit in the quiet and listen.

I feel God’s presence and his guiding hand.

He leads me in the stillness

and restores my soul

again.

Barefoot and writing,

Kim

Banish chaos. Be still and listen.