emily p. freeman

Creating space for your soul to breathe so you can discern your next right thing.

for when you need more than a soul breath

“Wait quietly in My presence while My thoughts form silently in the depths of your being. Do not try to rush this process, because hurry keeps your heart earthbound.“

Sarah Young, Jesus Calling

Tomorrow morning, I leave before the sun comes up for a week away from home. This trip has been planned for a while now. It seems right that it falls in the middle of 31 hushed days.

As a whole, these days have not felt hushed. At least not in the way I expected.

Even though I’ve been more intentional about taking a little space for my soul to breathe, a funny thing happens when I stop on purpose.

I realize I need more than a soul breath.

I need an oxygen mask.

And also a tank filled with more that I can wheel around behind me.

Maybe a rain forest or two planted in my yard for extra.

And let’s just throw in a couple of fans to blow the air around nice and good.

I have every intention of continuing to post while I’m away, but I will tell you now if the posts simply stop some time next week, know they’ll start back up soon enough. I make no promises that this 31 days won’t possibly turn into 26.

The world will spin on and the internet will be a little more hushed for a week. No big.

But for now, from the bottom of my earthbound heart, I will tell you I’ll be back tomorrow. Unless I’m not.

Thanks for grace.

This is day 18.

This is a post in a series, 31 Days to Hush. You can click here to see a list of all the posts, updated daily. If you would like to receive these quiet thoughts in your email inbox, subscribe now.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Although I’ve enjoyed much your posts on being quiet and hushed to make room for all HE wants us to hear, it seems a little odd that you would “write” for 31 days about it. After all, isn’t hushing the point? It seems only fitting that you take a few days for silence here in this space. I’ll miss your words, but sometimes what HE speaks in the silence is most important : ) Enjoy your trip, Emily!

    Reply

    • I think there is a place for both talking about it and listening for it. I knew it would be tricky to navigate the concept of hush while also writing about it. I recognize the irony.

      But I don’t think it has to be just one or the other.

      I learn best through the writing down of things. This has been a good practice for me.

      Reply

      • so agree! writing is not only a form of talking, but of listening as well… to my own heart, to His! sometimes i can’t even get a proper handle on what exactly i’m feeling, until i sit down to write about it. for me, writing can often be the sorting out of voices in my head. yes, the irony.. in talking, in expressing ourselves, we can hear the loudest!

        and 26 or 31. such a good series, emily. *thank you*

        Reply

      • I do understand what you’re saying, Emily. I’m so thankful you have taken the time to write out what you’re learning this month because God has used your words to speak to my heart to bring me to a place of hush : ) There is “a time to keep silence, and a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:7) and we can learn from both of these. If silent days come in this series, I simply am trying to say to you, enjoy : )

        Reply

  5. I think a few days of not blogging is the perfect “hush” perhaps what is needed in your ever busy life. We will wait in anticipation.

    Reply

  6. Love this! Thanks for such a great example and reminder that our act of worship bows to only One and doesn’t need to answer to worldly expectations. Enjoy your hushed time with Him! And we’ll be grateful for the words you share… or don’t. 😉

    Reply

  8. My outside surroundings have been quiet this week but my inside heart has not. Your posts have encouraged me to seek out that quiet inside – fight for it even – as I walk with some family members through a very hard time. Thankful for God’s faithfulness and the peace He brings.

    Reply

  10. Praying for your week away from home. Trusting the Lord will let you know when to write about hush over the next week and when to simply hush. Blessings, sweet Emily.

    Reply

  11. Hurry keeps your heart earthbound. Aha.

    I NEED people to say that–over and over, in all different sorts of ways–so thank you for saying it here.

    So you’re off for a week of living in an oxygen-enriched way. Good for you! Live it, love it, come back refreshed. Like the flight attendant says, place your own mask before assisting those around you. I reckon you’ve been assisting so many others with their masks that you now need quite some time to breathe yourself. Take your time and breathe normally; don’t try to gulp in copious amounts of air so that you can get back here quickly. We’ll be waiting whenever you get back. And if 31 turns into 26? We thank God for the 26!

    Reply

  13. Just wanted to say how much I enjoy all your posts, and following your Hush posts, as God has given me a quiet heart and sometimes people around me just don’t understand it, I resisted it in the beginning but wouldn’t trade it for anything now. But, I do recognize God makes us each unique individuals, we are not all wired that way in our relationship with Him. The important thing is to stay teachable in all things!

    Have a great weekend!

    Reply

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