What do you see when you close your eyes?

Matt Stauffer

We’ve written before about the impact of your top idea, and I want to think a little more about what’s on our brains at any given time.

I recently finished reading Invitation to Solitude and Silence [affiliate link], and as a result have spent a lot of time just sitting silently with the LORD instead of fighting to be “productive” with my quiet times. In these times of quiet I’ve learned that it’s very difficult for me to just sit still.

My first trick has always been to have a pad of paper and a pen sitting next to me. Usually my mind is full of the to-dos and reminders that are always bouncing there, so I try to get them all out on paper as soon as they pop up. Next, I often become much more thoughtful, and suddenly remember ways I should be reaching out to a particular student or loving my wife. Finally, I’m to the point where I can relax and trust that my reminders are all written down and out of the way.

But these last few weeks, I’ve found that even in those moments my brain is all over the place. I usually find myself slipping into the weirdest little story daydreams, and constantly wrestling myself away from them.

As I pray and think through what this could be a symptom of, and how I can address it, I’ve thought even more about this idea that I described a little above: When we finally sit down and rest, all of the things we’ve been barely holding back come rushing in.

Is there something to be said for spending time every day to just allow those things to rush in and process them? How do we create that time and space for devoted time for the LORD? Are my weird little daydreams signs that I’m a budding fiction author who needs to go write?

Do you have any thoughts, suggestions, tips, or tricks?

By Matt Stauffer | Posted: May 18, 2011
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