60 seconds of stillness... take a pause

The One Minute Pause can be used in many ways: for prayer or silence, to find your heart again, or to enjoy a moment of beauty. — John Eldredge     The One Minute Pause by John Eldredge from Get Your Life Back We live in a crazy-making world. So much stimulation rushes at us with such unrelenting fury, we are overstimulated most of the time. Things that nourish us — a lingering conversation, a leisurely stroll through the park, time to savor both making and then enjoying dinner — these are being lost at an alarming rate; we simply don't have room for them. Honestly, I think most people live their daily lives along a spectrum from slightly rattled to completely fried as their normal state of being.   In the late morning, I finally do what I should have from the beginning — I pause, get quiet, settle down. I give myself permission to simply pause, a little breathing room to come back to myself and God. My breathing returns to normal (I didn't even notice I was holding my breath). A little bit of space begins to clear around me. Suddenly, somewhere outside, someone has just fired up a leaf blower — one of the great pariahs of the human race, the enemy of all tranquility. My body tenses, the stress returns, and because I'm paying attention, I see for myself how the constant stimulation of our chaotic world causes us to live in a state of hypervigilance.   Notice — are your muscles relaxed right now or tense? Is your breathing deep and relaxed, or are you taking short, shallow breaths? Are you able to read this leisurely, or do you feel you need to get through it quickly? Most of the day we simply plow through a myriad of diverse tasks, checking boxes, "getting stuff done." It frazzles the soul, so we look to all our "comforters" to calm down. But I know my salvation is not in the frappuccino nor the fudge. So I close the window against the screams of the leaf blower and return to a practice that's become an absolute lifesaver:   The One Minute Pause.   I simply take sixty seconds to be still and let everything go.   As I enter the pause, I begin with release.   I let it all go — the meetings, what I know is coming next, the fact I'm totally behind on everything, all of it. I simply let it go. I pray, Jesus — I give everyone and everything to You. I keep repeating it until I feel like I'm actually releasing and detaching. I give everyone and everything to You, God. All I'm trying to accomplish right now is a little bit of soul- space. I'm not trying to fix anything or figure anything out. I'm not trying to release everything perfectly or permanently. That takes a level of maturity most of us haven't found. But I can let it go for sixty seconds. (That's the brilliance of the pause — all we are asking ourselves to do is let go for sixty seconds.) And as I do, even as I say it out loud — I give everyone and everything to You — my soul cooperates a good bit. I'm settling down.   I even sigh, that good sigh.   Then I ask for more of God: Jesus — I need more of You; fill me with more of You, God. Restore our union; fill me with Your life.   You'll be surprised what a minute can do for you. Even more so as you get practiced at it. Honestly, you can do this pause nearly anytime, anywhere — in your car, on the train, after you get off your phone. I know it seems small, but we have to start somewhere. This pause is accessible; it's doable.   As David wrote in the Psalms, "I have calmed and quieted myself" (131:2). Or, "I've cultivated a quiet heart."   I wonder how many people in your office, your gym, your daily commute could say they've cultivated a quiet heart?   What we assume is a normal lifestyle is absolute insanity to the God-given nature of our heart and soul. Broad is the path that leads to destruction, and many there are who travel it.   Nonetheless, this is the world we live in, raise our kids in, navigate our careers in, and so we need to find things that are simple and accessible to begin to take back our souls. The One Minute Pause is within reach. The practice itself is wonderful, and it opens space in your soul for God to meet you there.   1. Thomas Merton, The Wisdom of the Desert (New York: New Directions, 1960), 3.   Excerpted with permission from Get Your Life Back by John Eldredge, copyright John Eldredge.   * * * Your Turn   The world consumes us with noise, distractions, and earthly desires. How are you pausing in this season? How do you see your quiet time affect the rest of your life? Come share on our blog!   ... And don't miss this free guide to the One-Minute Pause, available when you join the Get Your Life Back Online Bible Study. GET THE PAUSE GUIDE   You're Invited! A Simple, Refreshing Invitation to...   Get Your Life Back Online Bible Study with John Eldredge   Our first men's community online Bible study starts September 28th. Join today for FREE access to all 6 study sessions with John and other helpful resources like the One Minute Pause Guide.   We live in soul-scorching times.  We're overwhelmed by the torrent of information coming at us, the tragedy and trauma of the world, not to mention the pace of the "swipe" and the "like"... it's left us all ragged, wrung-out, and emptied.   But we can push back against the madness.  We can regain the breathing room to live freely and lightly as we experience the restoration that God offers, even amid a troubled world.   In this six-session video Bible study, John provides a practical, simple, and refreshing guide to take your life back.   Are you ready? You don't need to abandon your life to get it back. Begin restoring your life here and now. LEARN MORE Deals on Study Resources   Save 40% off Get Your Life Back: Everyday Practices for a World Gone Mad by John Eldredge   Hardcover, Regular: $24.99 Sale Price: $14.99 *Also available in ebook   + free U.S. shipping on orders $30 or more   BUY NOW In Get Your Life Back, New York Times bestselling author John Eldredge provides a practical, simple, and refreshing guide to taking your life back.   By practicing a few wonder­fully simple practices—or what John calls "graces"—you can begin to recover your soul, disentangle from the tragedies of this broken world, and discover the restorative power of beauty.   Ask yourself:   •Are you happy most of the time? •Do you feel deeply loved? •Are you excited about your future? •How often do you feel lighthearted?   After reading this book you will…   •Learn how to insert the One Minute Pause into your day •Begin practicing "benevolent detachment" and truly let it all go •Offer kindness toward yourself in the choices you make •Drink in the simple beauty available to you every day •Take realistic steps to unplug from technology overload •These simple practices and others are ready for the taking. •You don't need to abandon your life to get it back. Begin restoring your life here and now. Your soul will thank you for it.     Learn more and save...     Save on the Study Guide + DVD   Save 40% off Get Your Life Back Study Materials Exclusively at FaithGateway   Study Guides as low as $7.79 Combo Packs as low as $25.19 *study guides also available in ebook   + free U.S. shipping on orders $30 or more   SHOP NOW *Sale prices valid through 9/30/2020, excluding eBooks. eBooks purchases are fulfilled by our partner, Glose. Free U.S. shipping on orders $30 or more, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. You are subscribed to Prayer.full, the prayer newsletter at FaithGateway   FaithGateway ~ our mission is to help you grow and share your faith.

© 2020 HarperCollins Christian Publishing. All Rights Reserved.

501 Nelson Place, Nashville, TN 37214, USA

Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions

*Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe 

Subscription Information

This email was sent to Webmaster220 Bible Study Blog  

*the blog owner has deleted the hyperlink intentionally