Still and Silent

Ma-Ra-Na-Tha…which means come Lord Jesus

I hope your drinking tea while reading this. It’s a soothing idea I’m sharing.

New additions to the list of things that make me sound like a hippie.

1.     I teach Christian Meditation to my first graders.

2.     I live in community with ten other teachers

3.     I hate going to the doctor

4.     Well I used to be a vegetarian

5.     I sometimes dress like a hippie

The list weakens rapidly, but I am excited for what meditation is doing for my students and in my life. I asked my kids today how their feelings toward meditation have changed since we began (about a month ago). Their answers were things like; “I like it”, “It’s gotten shorter”, “It makes me calmer”, “I can listen to Jesus”, and “It really is beautiful”. Say all those in the voice of a six year old and it will melt your heart. I attended a lesson called “How to Teach Christian Meditation” taught by two Australians who have implemented this practice across their entire district and have seen amazing results. However this whole idea is not result driven. It’s just a natural repercussion of teaching children to be silent. “Know thyself” is a simple yet powerful statement by St. Augustine. Silence is the perfect classroom for lessons in self-awareness, but more than that awareness of the presence of God within.

I have children in my class with anger problems, or situations at home beyond their control that have become more peaceful and reflective through meditating for only one minute everyday. The time frame for meditating s is intended to be the same number of minutes as your age. For adults it’s about 30 minutes max. I can get nowhere close to this. And to be honest I am much better at scheduling into my kids day than into my own, but it has definably served as a reminder and inspiration to allow for more solitude and reflection in my own life. To be still, and know that He is God, to know that He is God and loves you is where we find our identity and life source. This is by no means a self-help remedy or a one step solution to happiness. Just a simple thought from a simple first grade teacher on being still and silent.

Thanks for sitting across from me.

I hope this left you cozy and curious.

“And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:

And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.” 1 King 19: 11-12