Creating your haven

By Ellen Shuck

Are you someone who thinks the world moves too fast? Noise resides on every corner, and you just want to get away from it all. You yearn for a slower pace and wonder how to find such a place.

I, for one, like the word progress because without it we would cease to grow, as would the world in which we live. Speed is the modern goal. We want faster computers and cell phones. Cars must run at break-neck speeds, especially for many of the young. It seems that we are often more concerned with speed, than quality. Many factories push their workers to work quicker rather then put out a quality product.

We fill our calendars to overflowing, then wonder why we never seem to catch up. It doesn't seem to matter, at what stage of life one is residing; both young and the elderly seem to feel they have too much to do.

It seems, if you take a vacation, you think you must visit many exciting sites, travel far or fill your hard-earned time with things to do. You repeat the same pattern that you tried so hard to escape. But did you actually have a "vacation"? When I take a vacation, I often crave quiet time at home, peace and quiet, reading, watching movies if I choose, and doing my own thing. I am sometimes embarrassed because I'm not furthering my education in some way. However, that way of thinking is my fault because I choose how I think. We are all different. Numerous others crave a life of constant busyness, speed, and seeking over-achievement as a measure of their success.

For those of us who enjoy time away from constant busyness, need time to meditate on life and like quieter pursuits a lot of the time, we shouldn't be apologetic. Everyone needs quiet time -- time to visit the inner part of their being -- the heart part. Jesus verified the necessity for rest and quiet time when He said to his disciples, "Let's go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile" Mark 6:31. He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn't even have time to eat. Even though the group had many people needing their help, Jesus saw their need to care for themselves and reconnect with their spiritual being.

Since the beginning of time, people have sought a place where they can touch upon the spiritual. If we read history, watch movies, or listen to stories of old, we can see and learn about the various types of places that individuals chose to be alone. They often didn't have a large home, or extra space to be by themselves.

I enjoy, sometimes, watching old movies. One I particularly like is "Little house on the Prairie." The different characters on the show had different destinations where they worked out their problems and challenges. The people meditated and prayed by a particular tree, a stream, or by a rock. Laura Ingalls Wilder, a main character, usually went to a corner in the barn hay-loft to gain composure and meditate.

I doubt that we'll be able to change the pace of the world, at large, but we can find a way to gain access to our inner being. We can establish our own quiet, tranquil spot. It can simply be a chair within our living room, bedroom or another room. Or we can indulge in our time, within our car, going to and from work, if we're able to relax there. Your haven can be anywhere that you can be alone and reconnect within. It doesn't have to be like a story-book image but can be in our bedroom, on a walk, strolling, or anywhere we gain calm and peace to reach inside. Luke 5:16 tells us that "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."