Strohschein: ABCs of life: Q is for quiet

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Published on Thursday, September 12, 2013

By: Neil Strohschein

myWestman.ca

You are getting behind on your ‘think’ time. Those were words that a respected seminary professor didn’t want to hear — but they were words that he needed to hear.

This man had just completed a series of speaking engagements that had taken him to several different cities in the United States. Now he was settling back into his role at the seminary.

His students would arrive on campus in less than two weeks but he had to do at least four weeks of work to get ready for them. He was becoming increasingly agitated and it was starting to put a strain on him and on those around him. That’s when his closest friend stepped into his office, spoke the words quoted above and left . . . quickly!

This wasn’t the first time he had heard these words and it wouldn’t be the last. “Ever since that day, when I find myself in a situation like I was then, those words come back to me,” he said. “So I stop what I’m doing, leave my office and go to a place where I can sit quietly and think.”

He shared those words often and after taking time for quiet reflection, he was able to achieve far more in far less time.

At the time he made the tape on which he shared this story — the professor was about as old as I am now — I am beginning to see the value of the advice he put on tape he had shared with me 20 years ago.

I spend a great deal of time at my desk writing. Writing these columns, writing sermons, writing prayers for Sunday worship, writing letters for work, etc. Everything I write falls under the K-I-S-S restriction (Keep It Short, Strohschein). And ‘keeping it short’ isn’t something that any writer finds easy to do.

From time to time, I suffer from scrambled brain, otherwise known as writer’s block. The words I need to make my point just don’t come together sometimes. So rather than spend hours writing and rewriting, I walk away from my desk and take my own ‘think time’ (actually, it’s called a nap). An hour later (sometimes a little longer), I’m thinking clearly and I can complete the project quickly.

In our fast-paced world, quiet times like those described above are not encouraged. We get up in the morning, we check our ‘bucket list’ for the day (all the places we have to go and things we have to do) and from then on it’s go, go, go, go. Go until we fall into bed exhausted knowing that we’ll do the same thing tomorrow. We don’t take quiet times because we don’t have time for them (at least that’s what we tell ourselves).

The life of Jesus stands out in sharp contrast to what you and I consider normal. He worked from sun up to sundown teaching, healing, counselling and meeting people’s needs. He was always busy and there were times when the strain of his work began to take its toll. How did he respond to the pressure?

He took time away. He went to a secret place to pray. Sometimes he was gone for an hour or two.

Sometimes all night. But when he returned, he was refreshed, refocused and ready to face the challenges ahead of him. His example is one we all should follow.

This week, when the pressures of life seem to crowd in on you, take time for quiet reflection. You’ll be amazed at how refreshed you’ll feel and how efficiently you’ll be able to work.