A Touch of Serenity

Finding a moment of peace here can be more difficult than you might expect. Living in these dorms just seems to prohibit any sort of peace and quiet. Every night, I am just one room away from a raging party.
But after last week Sunday's evening service, I finally found time for reflection and renewal. I walked from the amphitheater to the edge of Jackson Lake where there is a steep drop off of 25 feet to the lake below. I sat down directly across from the sun, watching the reflections from the water dance on the eroded bank beneath me. In front of me was a picturesque view. Not only the lake, but the entire landscape was calm. The texture of the water was smooth and undisturbed, looking like squares of fabric stretched out on a canvas, ready to be painted. On the other side of the lake, the sun was lowering itself out of the sky. Its shining rays were still too much to look at; I had to look down. As I did, I absorbed the sun's warmth into my body and collected my thoughts.

I thought of the world all around me. Bustling city streets filled with activity. Businesses and bars. The scurry and scamper of our idol-worshiping culture. The idol of efficiency. Cut costs, cut time. Save time, save money. A relentless cycle. A furious flurry of motion. And there I sat, static in world of motion. In my stillness I find aches I didn't know I had. Aches only discoverable in silence, only when I am still. They flow out of my bones, through my muscles, and into my nerves. From the daily grind, our earthly aches only come out in sleep. Now, flowing through me I find comfort in just acknowledging my aches with every breath. I sit in tranquility and breathe. As the sun disappears, my breath appears in the air and I watch the aches and pains drift off over the lake. Behind the mountains. I find peace knowing my pains are leaving. I feel God's hand. A touch of serenity and I am healed.