Learning from the Heat

When we moved to the South about 18 years ago, I was overwhelmed by the stifling, summer heat. It seemed to take more effort just to breathe! I've grown accustomed to the heat now and it doesn't seem to bother me much anymore. But I was reminded of that first summer here today while sitting in my car, waiting for one of the kids.

It was high noon and I was beginning to get a little uncomfortable while I waited with my window rolled down. I found myself sitting extremely still, clicked over into a slow motion way of being- a total body quietness. I guess this is a learned behavior in response to the rising temperature. It somehow helps me stay cool. I began to realize that this is a behavior you seem to see a lot in warmer climates. Think of siestas in Mexico and "Island Time" in the Caribbean. Everything in the South just seems to move at a slower pace and it seems that the closer you get to the equator, the slower things move! (No wonder sloths are tropical animals!)"How interesting," I thought, "that it takes that physical pressure from the heat to make us all slow down, quiet ourselves."

Several months ago I blogged in response to a pod-cast I heard about "quieting" your soul. It's a skill that we all need to learn. As Oswald would say, it's not something God will do for us- we must do it for ourselves. The heat of summer bearing down on me caused me to sit still. Being sensitive to my environment helped me to respond in a way that helped me conserve energy. I guess what I'm trying to say is that sometimes it takes a physical property like heat or turmoil or discomfort or pain to cause us to respond with quietness. As I embrace the discomfort I can find the power to be still.

Be still and know that I am God Psalm 46:10