It’s #FiveMinuteFriday!
So, here’s the skinny: every Friday for over a year hundreds of people join a kind of writing flash mob over here.
We write for five minutes flat. All on the same prompt that Lisa Jo posts at 1 minute past midnight EST every Friday. And we connect on Twitter with the hashtag #FiveMinuteFriday
No extreme editing; no worrying about perfect grammar, font, or punctuation.
Unscripted. Unedited. Real.
Are you ready
GO
My backyard at 6 a.m. this morning
QUIET
One of the (many) things I dreaded when I became a single mom were the weekends when my child would be with his father. I was sure the emptiness of the house would be tangible, and I feared that the loneliness and the quiet would be unbearable.
But I’ve learned that being alone and being lonely are not the same things.
I’ve always been a person who needed quiet time on a regular basis. I crave serenity and calm. I need time alone to decompress periodically. And I had forgotten that about myself, since I haven’t gotten to experience it in so long.
God has shown me that those weekends alone are an invitation to meet with Him in the quiet and solitude.
The stress, chaos, and NOISE of day-to-day life – making sure we’re up and out the door on time, that my child is at school on time, that I am at work on time, that the bills are paid on time, that dinner is made and there is food in the house - is draining. It steals my strength and leaves me exhausted.
But every two weeks or so, I get a weekend sabbatical – an opportunity to just sit and relax and focus on Him with nothing else to demand my attention. In the quiet, I get recharged and re-energized and refocused.
Strengthened.
And I find that, though I am alone, I’m really not.
It IS true. It ISN’T just words. He IS with me always.
It’s when I am alone, in the quiet, that I can sense Him.
STOP
Wanna play? Here’s how:
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments.
Related articles
- Five Minute Friday: Quiet (joycannis.wordpress.com)
- FiveMinuteFriday ~ The Joy of Quiet *sometimes even in the chaos* (juliejordanscott.typepad.com)
- Quiet Breeze of Grace ~ Five Minute Friday (simplystriving.wordpress.com)
- Five Minute Friday: Quiet (joleneybean.wordpress.com)
- Quiet (atshaibu.wordpress.com)
Wonderful Truth! We are NEVER alone!
Posted by Stephanie Bailey Bowman | November 9, 2012, 10:40 amAMEN!
Posted by Nancy | November 9, 2012, 11:17 amI too have learned “…that being alone and being lonely are not the same things.” I’m glad you wrote today
Thanks for the pingback!
Posted by Joy | November 9, 2012, 11:25 amThanks! And you’re welcome!
Posted by Nancy | November 9, 2012, 11:42 amThere is beauty in the ashes here and I praise God that you can step away when you need it most. Yes, being lonely and alone are not the same at all. Quite true. Quite beautiful.
Posted by mslorretty | November 9, 2012, 11:40 amThanks so much! Appreciate you stopping by and giving some encouragement.
Posted by Nancy | November 9, 2012, 11:43 amThat’s what I’ve come to love about Five Minute Fridays!
Posted by mslorretty | November 9, 2012, 12:17 pmGreat words, and may God continue to bring redemption to the areas we thought would be our struggles…thanks for sharing!
Posted by Wick | November 9, 2012, 2:08 pmThanks for stopping by!
Posted by Nancy | November 9, 2012, 3:09 pm“But I’ve learned that being alone and being lonely are not the same things.” Missing our kids when they are gone is natural. Choosing to keep positive about it is surely a challenge. So glad you have found joy in this journey and grasped the truth that you are never alone!
Posted by donna1425 | November 9, 2012, 3:03 pmThank you! And thanks for taking the time to comment.
Posted by Nancy | November 9, 2012, 3:10 pmYes! We’re never alone. One of my most favorite promises of His!
Love how you’ve turned those moments of hurt into glory. what grace!
Posted by simplystriving | November 9, 2012, 7:10 pmDefinitely learning that His grace really is sufficient. Thanks for stopping by!
Posted by Nancy | November 10, 2012, 6:17 amWe are never alone. Truth! Thank you for sharing your fears and how God made that a strength. I love that.
Posted by Meredith | November 9, 2012, 8:44 pmThanks for visiting me!
Posted by Nancy | November 10, 2012, 6:18 amI am glad that you are not lonely during those times and that you know that He is with you and recharges your spirit in those quiet times with Him. I imagine that life as a single mother must be very challenging with all of it’s demands and I love that you get that time to be with the Lord. It’s something that although I have ample help, I often neglect. A challenging reminder for me. Thank you. And thanks for the encouragement on my blog as well.
Posted by narrowpathstohigherplaces | November 10, 2012, 1:01 amYou’re welcome! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Posted by Nancy | November 10, 2012, 6:21 amHi Nancy,
So glad we are never alone because He is always WITH us…what a great insight: alone and lonely are two different things…blessings to you as you enjoy time with Him
Posted by DollyL (@SoulStops) | November 10, 2012, 2:19 pm“…Recharged and re-energized and refocused. Strengthened” …. all happen in the quiet. it is true! thanks for stopping by. stopped by from FMF.
Posted by atshaibu | November 13, 2012, 5:56 am