Person hiding under the covers by ketut subiyanto via pexels
Who Are You

Shalom into Sheol

It’s quiet—
too quiet;
the kind a mother’s ear is tuned to hear as
danger.
The sound of silence;
The sound of trouble.

Not out there.
Oh, Lord, (k)no(w).
Out there is
t.v.
podcast
video game
cooking
“cleaning”
tantrum
question
interruption
“discussion”
voices
voices
voices.

No—in here.
Where once was a jubilant racket,
a riotous parade,
a leaping river
of glittering ideas,
symphonic thoughts,
dreams desires plans
overflowing into words
and prayers
—where there once was a me—
there is quiet.

And yet
it must be
quiet—too quiet—
to hear the still small voice
who doesn’t say much
beyond
“peace,
“peace, baby,
“peace.”

I have fought this quiet season,
despised its smallness,
its slow emptying,
but
wherever I go,
out there or in here,
waking or sleeping,
brimming or hollow,
in darkness bright as morning,
the voice whispers
shalom into Sheol

until all I want is a little
peace
and


This post is part of Five-Minute Friday. This week’s prompt is QUIET. If you’d like to join in the fun, click here!

6 thoughts on “Shalom into Sheol”

    1. Oh gosh, thank you! It’s a strange season, isn’t it? Most days all I can do to get through without going bonkers is to remind myself that God’s got a plan for it. As long as I can hold on to even the hem of his robe and keep walking, I’m okay. (Same for you! ❤)

  1. He seems to just say, “Peace” or “Peace be still” when there is a lot of noise, chaos, etc. It really is kind of him to calm the ‘storms’ within. At just the right time, He says more. And then, we’re usually ready for it because we have a surrendered heart or as you said, an ’emptying.’

    May you continue experiencing peace as the clay that is being formed by the Master’s hand on the potter’s wheel. He’s making a masterpiece!

    1. I love this perspective! I rarely consider the emptying as good, but you’re so right that it’s exactly how God prepares us to receive His best stuff! Thank you for the reminder.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *