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Serenity and Solitude I was in the mountains of North Carolina looking at a monastery that a group of monks wanted to sell when I noticed two words on the wall, Serenity and Solitude. It seems these two words have disappeared out of most folk’s vocabulary and even fewer have an understanding of their meanings. So lets take a look. There seems to be “a great American sickness” I’ve watched the past 20 years grow. It comes with the “jet service” age and its called “hurry sickness” or “busyness sickness”. A few are finding in the process of simplification also comes a desire to slow down and let go of the habit of always being in a hurry and having so much to do. Everyone at some time has experienced a feeling of being overwhelmed by life…its when it seems to be spinning alittle to fast. In feeling a need to escape and find a place of simplicity, a secluded place to be alone with our thoughts. I have a new term for it….de-fraging. If you have ever used a computer you find when you use files they are not put back in the correct place you have to defrag. You tell the secretary (in the computer) to put all the files back in their place. When we defrag we find a quiet place to gather all our thoughts and find the place of peace and harmony. Where peace and simplicity are embraced, there is Neither anxiety nor complication Simplify! What a beautiful word and powerful process. To simplify is so freeing and feels so good. What can we do to simplify our lives? There’s a popular book now dealing with removing the clutter from one’s life. Same principal. As we start to find the place of serenity we find the place of solitude. Aloneness is different from loneliness. We find the difference when we look at the words, both meaning “being alone”. Loneliness expresses the pain of being alone while solitude expresses the glory of being alone. In solitude, we discover that the world is made of beauty, simplicity and order. In “busyness” our world gets cluttered, we complicate things because of how we perceive the world so it’s filled with mental and physical activities. Simplicity, serenity, and peace already exist, and any Of us can experience them whenever we choose. In simplicity, we learn to meet life face to face. It’s to unburden our lives, to live more direct, unpretentious and unencumbered. It means being direct and honest, taking life as it is but yet finding the reality of harmony in creation. Many find pleasure in collecting material things to escape living with the one that lives inside. I still love that scripture, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock (He’s inside knocking) come IN and sup with me…” This is why meditation brings us into the knowing of Him who is within. Learning to let go of all the clutter, living honestly, simply and freely, without pretensions, encumbrances and superfluity (that’s my new word for the day). Jesus showed the way! The choice is yours! Do we desire to simplify? Do we desire to find a place of solitude? Do we want serenity in our lives? Do we want the clutter removed? It all starts with giving and learning to be free. Then we can start by sitting quietly and let the cares of this life flow away. Bringing all thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ. Sit take a deep breath, relax, flow. Know the mind of Christ IS working in you. If we only start with 15 minutes every morning you will see a change. We can choose to do this letting go to find serenity, peace and the glory of life. Blessings of Life and Mercy, Floyd Stones of Fire Publications
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