“I try to stay busy during this quarantine, but when I have down time my brain goes crazy,” she confided as she sat in my counseling office biting her nails and endlessly tapping her foot, as she spoke. I don’t think she is alone as we all find ourselves navigating these uncharted waters. Have you felt like this weary person at any time in the past few weeks as the news changes daily, but your situation doesn’t? I know I have.
So instead of letting my crazy brain take over, I made a determined decision to quiet my heart every morning before I do anything else and simply soak up peace in God’s presence. Sometimes I pray, sometimes I read from one of my many devotionals, but before any of that, I sit simply in His presence until He downloads peace.
I know that I would be crying every day and tossing and turning all night if I didn’t. There is just too much going on in this world to adequately process, and so much of it is negative.
Instead of worrying this quarantine time away, see it as an opportunity to help you draw closer to the Lord. This may be the one time in your life when you actually have the time because our schedules are lighter as activities have been cancelled.
Listen to this by Hannah Whitehall Smith, a turn of the century Christian author as she shares about drawing closer to God: “When we love an earthly friend, we aren’t satisfied with only a few minutes conversation at a time; nor can we come to know that person’s true character or appreciate the deeper parts of one’s nature, even in those passing words would occur every few minutes. Neither can we know God in that way.
“How often we say to our earthy friends, ‘How I long to have a good, long, quiet talk with you.” And shall we not have the same with our heavenly Friend, so that we may really get to know Him?”
Is it possible that when down-time tends to eat your brain as you find yourself feeding your fears, you can instead spend quiet time in the presence of the living God and go from circling the drain to singing His praises? (If your brain won’t shut down check out the post about Mindful Mediation on my blog. It will help you clear your head and calm your mind.)Try it for your sanity’s sake, and I know those around you will appreciate it too.