Peace for the Soul

Posted on February 10, 2024 by

35 Comments

Last Sunday, fellow blogger David over at David’s Daily Dose posted As Strong as a Mother’s Love.

I will give you a moment to check it out…

Are you back? Great! 😁

In his post, David talked about an incident in the waiting room of a doctor’s office. Young parents brought in their sick toddler, and while waiting both parents turned to their cell phones for a distraction. The way David wrote it made the scene come alive, so I hope you read it.

David wrote, “Rather than judging the young couple—hey, I do it too—my thoughts turned to a spiritual implication.”

I love how David made his point, “What in my life competes for God’s attention and affection?”

Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. – 1 John 5:21

The answer to David’s question will differ for each of us. This could range from our jobs, to food, to money, and so much more. Really everything in our lives could potentially compete for a place in our hearts.

Since the example David gave in his post had to do with smartphones, I would like to touch on that for now. But try to think of what things or activities in your life might be vying for attention.

Like these young parents, and like David, I too have turned to my phone at times. In my post last week I mentioned that I spent a lot of time in waiting rooms dealing with my eye appointments. On some of those occasions I did look at my phone for awhile, especially the time when I was there for over three hours.

However, on the majority of my visits to the eye doctor, I tried to do better in this area. You might recall that my word for 2024 is Presence. I want to focus on God’s presence. And I also want to be more present in my own life. Therefore, I felt these moments in the waiting room allowed me to slow down a bit and just breathe.

Most of us live life at a fast pace. Our lives are full. And often we feel exhausted and overwhelmed. We have a lot of “noise” coming at us each day, and sometimes this means the noise of the world drowns out the voice of God.

But I believe if we are intentional about carving out quiet moments in our days, this can have a positive impact on our souls.

Instead of reaching for our phones in the waiting room at the doctor’s office, what if we took that time to pray? Instead of listening to our televisions all day, what if took a few minutes to get outdoors and listen to the sounds of nature? Instead of mindlessly scrolling through social media feeds for hours, what if we feed our hearts on God’s Word?

Lent is coming up. This year it begins on Valentine’s Day, which I love (no pun intended) because the life and death of Jesus is THE greatest love story.

So perhaps for Lent we can find ways to quiet our souls and to draw closer to the Lord. Each of our lives look different. Therefore, how we proceed will look differently for each of us.

I don’t know yet what my Lenten season will look like. Therefore, while keeping all of this in mind, I will prayerfully seek ways to find peace for the soul in the coming weeks. How about you? If you decide to do anything specific for Lent, I would enjoy hearing what it is. Or if you have special ways to give your soul a bit a peace and quiet, please share that as well.

Thank you for reading. I hope you have a blessed weekend.

Photo credit: Aaron Burden on unsplash.com

© 2018-2024 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.

Category: Seeking GodTags: , , , , , , , ,

35 Comments on “Peace for the Soul”

  1. I’m back! I enjoyed David’s post. I’ve actually challenged myself in recent years to not pick up my phone in the waiting room and although a lot of people seem to be on their phones, I have been able to have some enjoyable chats with people since I chose to engage with them instead of the phone. Doing this brings peace to me because I always enjoy a nice chat with people. Being aware of those around us, adds so much to our lives. Thanks Bridget. Wonderful post. ❤️

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    • I love that, Dawn! In the waiting room at the eye doctor, I saw a lot of people on their phones. And the majority of these people were cataract patients, so they were probably over 60. I found it interesting that all generations seem to turn towards their phones now. Although there did seem to be a cap. The patients that were closer to 80 (in my estimate) didn’t seem to be looking at their phones. But I really like that you chat with people. I do need to be better about that. I tend to keep to myself. But you are right, being more aware of those around us does add much to our lives. In fact on one occasion at the eye doctor, I noticed an elderly lady coming up to the door with a walker. I jumped up to open the door for her. If I had been on my phone, would I have noticed her? Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Dawn! ♥️

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      • That’s nice that you were able to help the lady out. I’m glad you saw her. I went for my mammogram last month and ended up in a conversation with an older lady who lives in the city I grew up in. It was nice to reminisce with her about changes in the city over the years. We just never know who we’ll meet. Blessings Bridget ❤️

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      • Such a good point, Dawn. There have been two occasions in the past month when a stranger noticed I was wearing a shirt with my alma mater on it. Since the university is over 500 miles away, it stands out in my neck of the woods. So on those two occasions the strangers struck up a conversation with me because they were from that area. It was so nice to chat for a bit about the area and the school. What a gift it is to chat with people. Often times these random chats will be a bright part of our day. Blessings to you too, Dawn!

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  2. Thank you for mentioning my post, providing the link back, and then adding your own wonderful thoughts, Bridget. I love such collaborative adventures!
    You are truly a gracious and godly sister in the Lord.
    Blessings to you and your husband!

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    • Each time I went to the eye doctor, I saw many other folks on their phones. I found it interesting that this is just the way our culture is now. And all generations are included. Thank you for the kind words, David! Blessings to you and your wife too!

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      • Part of the reason this is the way things are is because app developers and content creators purposely make content “sticky”—tempting us to stay longer than we planned. For example, I’ve gone to YouTube to look for something and found myself still streaming 30 minutes later.

        I’m seriously considering putting my cell phone in a drawer for the duration of Lent.

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      • Oh wow, that would be a bold move for sure. 😱 You are stronger than I am. If you do decide to, let me know how it goes.

        Like

      • There’s a product called “The Light Phone” that uses your active SIM card from your regular phone, but only has limited functions–like calls and texting. It allows you to still be accessible without all the time killing temptations of a full-blown mobile device. I’m looking into it.

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  3. Wow, that bench in your photo looks awfully inviting.

    I like your idea of praying instead. Pray instead of looking mindlessly at the phone. Instead of eating that treat I don’t need. Instead of watching the ‘boob tube.’ Just think of the power and the testimony, had that young couple in the waiting room held hands and prayed for that baby instead of looking at phones.

    And David is right: we can never judge when we see people scrolling. Maybe, on that phone, it’s a Bible app.

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    • I agree about the bench. Every time I see a picture with a bench, it just seems so peaceful. You make a good point about looking at the Bible on our phones. That actually happened to me once. I was out of town for work, standing in front of the hotel, waiting for a bus. As I waited I read the Bible on my phone. An angry man walked past me and made a comment about me texting. I forgot about that until you mentioned it. So you are right, looking at our phones isn’t always a negative thing. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.

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  5. Not picking up my phone whenever I have time is a challenge for me. I have to keep reminding myself to not do it. Praying and paying attention to His presence and nudges is a wonderful reason to set the device on the side.

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    • Same here. Sometimes I will pick up my phone to check something, for example maybe the weather. But then other things will catch my attention and I will wind up spending more time than anticipated. There have been seasons (during Lent or an intentional time of fasting) when instead of searching the internet for something, or shopping online for something, I would write it down on a list. Later when going over the list, most of the things didn’t seem important anymore. I need to do that more often. A lot of times I will check my email or WordPress notifications, even though I had already checked those not long before. Lol. It doesn’t make a lot of sense. But I am trying to be more conscientious of that.

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  6. Good post of David’s….I’m horrible about visiting with others while in the waiting room but both your post and David’s prick my heart a bit that I could be using my time in this way!! I’m guilty of using my phone instead…unless I’m with a family member then I’ll converse with them but it stops there.
    Good post for mindfulness and change!!

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    • I know what you mean. I tend to keep to myself. I was tempted to speak to others in the waiting room a couple of times last month. But due to being so introverted, I didn’t do it. Lol. I like how you put that – mindfulness and change. Change on our part often needs to start with mindfulness. 🤔

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      • I’m an introvert too, I do really good with a group of 3 but anymore than that and I’m awkward and one on one I’m awkward…guess I need to keep in mind that when I’m conversing with one on one that really the Holy Spirit is there too, so that makes three! 😂❤️ Maybe that’d help my anxiousness!
        …but yes mindfulness and change!! And not being so harsh on myself!!😉

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      • Such a great point about the Holy Spirit! I love that! And He can also help us with our words. I need all the help I can get. 😅 I also appreciate what you said about not being harsh on yourself. I’m harsh on myself too. I’m so thankful the Lord extends grace! 🙌♥️

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  7. I like the idea of finding ways to quiet our souls and draw closer to the Lord as a focal point Lent, Bridget. I haven’t decided what to do for Lenten season this year yet either, although I have begun focusing more deeply on prayer and prayerfulness.

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    • Focusing on prayer and prayerfulness are definitely good things? I think most of us could use more of that. I know I sure can! Thank you for sharing that, Rainer!

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  8. Pingback: Thinking About the Upcoming Lenten Season 2024 – The Devotional Guy™

  9. I caught David’s post last week and have found myself thinking about it quite a lot. Our phones are such a distraction to being present. I’m not sure what that means in connection to my blog (or in connection to Lent), but I sure do spend lots of time on WordPress and, like tonight, on my phone. I think God is trying to get my attention.

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    • I’m with you. It’s difficult to know where to go from here. I hope we can find a balance. For example, with things like WordPress, I am in the habit of checking it several times a day. So perhaps checking once a day would be a better balance? If you come up with a good system, let me know. I need all the help I can get 😂

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    • Thank you, Gail! I had so many eye appointments in January where I watched many people in the waiting room looking at their phones. I know it’s part of our culture now, but I also know the devices pull us away from the life in front of us. So when I read David’s post, it spoke to me. I hope you have a great week too. Thank you for your prayers. They are always appreciated. I will be praying for you too! ♥️

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  11. Like you, this past year for me has been spent in waiting rooms and doctor’s offices both for me and my husband. I will admit that yes, I have looked at my phone. But I often bring a book or devotional with me. I have observed how many people waiting ARE looking at their phones and the majority usually are……..which is kinda sad too. But I never regret that “waiting” time when I spend it with GOD…….even if it is short or long. Sometimes I am able to go outside and sit at a bench and read. (I live in AZ) so weather permits it. It is up to us, how we make use of all of the time GOD gives us!

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