A Quiet Place

The following meditation was written by Dr. Michael B. Brown.

Matthew 14:13, “When Jesus heard about John, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.” Matthew 14:13 (Common English Bible)

An out-of-state tourist in Florida was fishing in a marshy inlet when his small boat capsized. Hanging onto the side of it, the man feared there would be alligators in the inlet and his life would be at risk. He cried out to an old fisherman on the shore, “Help me! Please! The alligators will attack me.” The old guy didn’t even look up. He just called back, “There ain’t no gators in this inlet. There used to be, but they’re all gone now.” With that, the fisherman relaxed. The sun and water were warm. He decided to enjoy it and did a slow, lazy backstroke toward land. Growing curious, once more he shouted to the man on the shore and asked, “What did you do to get rid of the alligators?” Again without looking up, the old man answered, “We didn’t do anything. The sharks ate `em.”

Daily life with its rapid pace, incessant demands, strains and stresses sometimes makes us feel like we’re surrounded by sharks. Financial crises. Relational estrangements. Health concerns. Social pressures. Guilt. Grief. Loneliness. The expectations of others that seem impossible to fulfill. There is no magic wand to wave that can make it all disappear. So, how do we cope with our pressure-laden reality? How do we survive the sharks in our waters?

When the stresses of the moment and the needs of the masses bore down upon Jesus, scripture says “He withdrew … to a deserted (solitary or quiet) place.” (Matthew 14:13) He didn’t run away from life, but he did retreat long enough to “restore his soul.” (Psalm 23:3) He understood that in order to continue pushing forward with strength and effectiveness, sometimes temporarily we have to pull back just to breathe.

Norman Vincent Peale used to tell a story about his close friend, Desi Arnaz. Both as a  performer and, especially, as head of Desilu Productions, Arnaz’ responsibilities were mammoth. He told Dr. Peale that one way he coped with that was to slip away from time to time to a small house on the Pacific coast. He would take off his watch as soon as he entered and not put it back on till he left. While there, he ate when he was hungry and slept when he was tired. Otherwise, he would bathe himself in solitude and silence, watch sunrises and sunsets, and give his mind a chance to rest. He said he always returned home with renewed energy and deepened creativity. “He withdrew … to a quiet place.” We all need that. For you it may be reading, quilting, biking, hiking, gardening, golfing, swimming, fishing, museums, movies, or a host of other things that restore your soul. You cannot outswim the sharks if you are weary. You cannot be of significant help to anyone else if you are exhausted. That’s the reason The Ten Commandments include the instruction to set aside personal time for sabbath (rest). “He withdrew … to a quiet place.” If Jesus needed it, so do we. Take care of you. It’s the only way there will be enough you left to take good care of anyone or anything else.

Joy,