An Eternity of It? ~ by Michelle Strutzenberger

I am eagerly awaiting the day we’ve been promised when Jesus’ righteousness will reign supreme and “quietness and confidence will fill the land forever” (Isaiah 32:17).

Even as I anticipate that time, I must admit, that part of me is surprised that the promised eternal reward is quietness.

I mean, what about singing? Parties? Whooping it up because Jesus is king?

Or does quietness in this context mean only the ceasing of certain noises?
Noise that grates?
That stirs fear?
That arouses anger?
That signals useless activity?

Will that eternal quietness be the kind in which peace can flow, creativity can flourish, and joy is alive?

Will we look around and see writers and artists, sculptors and music-makers producing as never before as the endless quiet allows for a kind of generative activity that empty noise often quells in this life?

Maybe we will still hear sounds, but will it be only those that soothe and settle, or lift up and awaken?
The rustle of the breeze in the cool trees, shush of long grasses, sprinkle of bird music, children laughing, people singing?
The warmth of peace in our own hearts?
The sigh of the whole Earth as it finally, finally redeemed (Romans 8:19-23)?

A few InScribe blogs have addressed the theme of quietness recently. Some may say it’s a coincidence. I wonder if it’s God working through each of us as writers and readers to remind us of this vital truth – quietness in Him matters – a lot. So much so, we can look forward to an eternity of it. So much so, that for now, here on this Earth, we need to keep hearing about it.

I encourage you to go back and read Carol Harrison’s, “Q is for Quiet Reflection,” Steph Beth Nickel’s “Illusive Quietness,” and Alan Anderson’s, “Q is for Quietude and Quietness.” Steph offers some encouraging thoughts on ways to help achieve physical, spiritual, and emotional quietness (you may be surprised by some of them.) Carol shares a compelling story about her experience with a moment of quiet reflection and how it drew her closer to the Lord. Alan writes beautifully on quietude as a friend.

As for my thoughts on making space for quiet in my life here I will just say one thing. It can help to have a “quietness buddy,” a person who shares the same view of the value of quietness that you do. Now, it is my daughter. She invites me to some of her places out in nature and encourages me to listen. I’ll do the same for her. When I was a teenager, it was my twin who was my quietness buddy. We used to challenge each other to remain silent for certain periods of time, mostly because we had been studying Scriptures that spoke of the value of silence (even while we understood that there is a time for speaking as well!).

Of course, the quietness that God calls us to do is about so much more than the ceasing of noise, as I already mentioned earlier. As quietness buddies, we might make two lists: Sounds that Grate, and Sounds that Lift Up. Then we can start a treasure hunt for the latter, a small way to start living in eternity now.

Michelle and her family enjoy hiking mountains and trails together. She is currently writing a series under her maiden Mennonite name, Michelle Teigrob. The series is called, What Growing Up in a Mennonite Family of 10 Taught Me About Survival. To receive the bi-weekly tips, visit this link and subscribe.