A shelter man came into my office and complimented me just yesterday saying how impressed he is every day watching me handle situation after situation yet I stay smiling, positive and unshaken. He made the comment, "Still waters run deep." I ran across it again this morning beautifully put by Joel Osteen and wanted to share it.
Every day the surface will change and there is something to deal with. Make sure the foundation of your life is in the quiet calmness and peace of deep waters. If it isn't, learn what it is you need to rejuvenate and find that balance for your life.
My personal balance is found anchored in ... my faith and talking with God throughout the day, in needed alone time, being alone at home with the only sounds being carried in through the fresh air of open windows in my clean house, going for a walks in the sunshine, writing, eating healthy, plenty of exercise, and a routine sleep schedule (8 hours a night) that keeps my system in balance, healthy and my immune system strong.
Still Waters Run Deep - By Joel Osteen
You've probably heard the saying, "Still waters run deep." The surface of the ocean is always changing, depending on the wind, tide, season and even the time of day. It can be very smooth and calm at one point, and later in the day, it's rough and choppy. When the wind is strong and the tide is right, there can be ten-foot waves or small whitecaps. What's interesting is that if you go down about 30 feet, the water never changes. It's as calm and still as can be. Right above it on the surface, it may change a dozen times a day, but 30 feet down it never changes; it's always calm.
That's the way you and I need to be in life. On the surface, there will always be activity and change. We may have storms in life with waves and wind, some days bigger than others. You can't get away from all the traffic, or a person that irritates you, or a challenge in your relationship or your health. That's just life. Those things create waves on the surface. But deep down in your spirit, you've got to have calmness, a supernatural peace deep within.
The Scripture says, "In quietness and calmness will be my strength (Isaiah 30:15)." We need to learn to live in the deep places. When you're worried or stressed out, if you're moved by every circumstance, upset because you're not getting your way, offended at what a neighbor said, then you're living a very shallow life. You're living on the surface. The thing is, you don't control the wind. You can't control the tide. In other words, you don't control what other people do. You can't control what your neighbor says or even what battles you fight. Really, the only thing you can control is your own attitude. Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond. If you worry all the time, get upset every time the traffic is bad, frustrated because you have an unexpected bill, my encouragement to you today is to go deeper. Find that place of still waters. Find the place of peace with God.
Remember, the surface is always going to be changing. You'll never get away from the tests, the challenges or the adversities. As long as you're alive, there will be something to deal with. But when you learn to go down to the deep waters, you have this calmness and rest for your soul. Remember, what you see on the surface is only temporary, but the deep waters are unchanging. Walk in the deep, live in the deep and let Him wrap you in His peace all the days of your life!
