Stillness

“Blessed are the single-hearted, for they shall enjoy much peace.
If you refuse to be hurried and pressed, if you stay your soul on God, nothing can keep you from that clearness of spirit which is life and peace. In that stillness you will know what His will is.”
~ Amy Carmichael

* * *

For a warm, not-quite-yet-autumn day in Florida, the wind was remarkably cool and the leaves in the trees fluttered about with the spunky flirtiness of schoolgirls excited to see each other after a long absence. As I lied on my back atop the castle section of a wooden playground, I absorbed the wonder and the glory of a quiet moment. There were no sounds to distract...no cars zooming by, no kids screaming as they played. No, it was just me and my son and the sound of the gulls as they passed by overhead.

This playground excursion was not entered into lightly. I had promised multiple pushes on the swing, a race to the slide, a tutorial on proper monkey bar protocol and alternating turns playing goalie on the soccer field nearby. All this wrangling in return for good behavior and patience during what we anticipated to be a longer-than-normal college football game due to it being broadcast on television.

At first, I was struck by the peacefulness at this most public of playground spots. The glare and heat of the warm Florida sun was deflected by a cozy canopy of tree branches that formed an rooflike sort of structure above our heads. As I prepared to take my turn on the slide, I laid my head back and surveyed the scene above. The sunlight was weaving its way in and amongst the narrow branches as they swayed to and fro. The song of cicadas danced on the breeze and I called Daniel--my five year old--over to take in the wonder...the stillness of it all.

Now anyone who knows squat about five year olds knows that the words "5 year old" and "stillness" are virtually inutterable in the same sentence. You know, much like "rock concert" and "quiet" could never be used in relation.

You get my drift.

I would, at some point in his young life, love to instill in my son the same sense of reverence I carry for unexpected moments of peace. Moments when there is nothing more wonder-filled than to take in the sounds and the environment around you. So, I tried.

"Daniel...come here sweetie... here lie down next to Mommy. Look up there...isn't that cool how the tree branches are dancing in the wind? And how the sunlight is sparkling as it peeps through the trees? Let's just be quiet for a minute and see what else we notice..."

::silence for 5 seconds::

"Mommy?"

"Shhhhh...for just a second...listen to that...do you hear it? That's the wind whistling...and the birds....let's just listen to them talk to us, OK? Shhhhhhhh........."

:: 3 seconds of silence::

"Mommy?"

"What, sweetie?"

"That was cool. Will you go push me on the swing now?" (as he jumps up and slides down the slide)

Sigh... yes, I will push you. I pull myself up, dust off and slide down the bright yellow slide.

So much for "Nature Appreciation 101." Perhaps in a year or five I'll try it again. But for now, there's a tire swing calling my name.