The stillness that permeated the place I moved after graduation was unsettling at first.

Distractions were few and there was plenty of time for me to soak in the beautiful surroundings as well as the quiet. At first, I didn’t know how to handle it. For so long, I had lived life constantly going, that though I thought I knew how to carve out quietness, I discovered that I hadn’t truly known quietness.

I think quietness unsettles us because it gives us space to know ourselves and to think. We come face to face with who we are when there is nothing demanding our attention or abilities.

Proverbs 17:1, tells us that quietness is a blessing. In fact, finding space for quietness is a better blessing than having a lot of material things. We are better off living a simple life that affords us time to be quiet, than we are living a busy life that includes conflict.

It may seem impossible to return to a simple life, but I encourage you to carve out intentional spaces and times for quietness that you may receive the blessing it holds. Instead of turning up the noise by seeking out social media in random breaks of the day, embrace the quiet by sitting in it and allowing God to reveal the blessings He has for you in those moments.