Image courtesy of Sally Davies, sallydaviesphoto.com
Sitting still is the last thing we feel like doing when we're suffering. We can't just sit there. We must do something, anything, to stop the pain and make it go away. When suffering enters our life in any of its miserable ways, nothing terrifies more than sitting still, and nothing feels more contrary to gut instincts.
Ants in our Pants
We can’t sit still. It's that "come and get me" feeling; the sickening sense that suffering will overwhelm us so much that we'll drown in sorrow, die from misery, and dissolve into nothing. We may even lose our reason for living and want to die just to get it over with. If we don't do something other than sit still, the pain will get worse, and we can't even bear the thought of that happening.
Misery Won’t Kill You
Trust me when I tell you that unless we let suffering kill us first, we will not die from misery. I know it always feels that way, but suffering will not kill us. And while it may feel better momentarily to cry out loud, blame everyone else, and start flapping our gums about the meanness of God, nothing makes the soul's night darker.
Misery only intensifies when we refuse to accept gracefully what life gives us. The only way I found to save my suffering soul is by sitting still. That's my secret to meeting all of life's darkest mysteries.
The Fine Art of a Quiet Heart
How can we sit still when everything in us wants to escape and numb the pain? That's the problem we face when suffering enters our life; the problem of achieving a quiet heart. But that’s the first thing we must do.
Disengage from activities, situations, and relationships which drain our energy. Pull ourselves out of everyday life and free the soul to become quiet and receptive. Surround ourselves with soulmates and enter into the soul-saving embrace of solitude and communion.
Becoming Calm
The key is to remain calm. When mind and body become calm, heart and soul become quiet, and when that happens, divine intervention is near. This is the mysterious place where endings find new beginnings, death slips silently into rebirth, and suffering no longer overwhelms us, but reveals instead its secrets and shows us mercy. Sit still and feel your soul be saved.
Tune in next week to find out what to do while sitting still. And until then, think about this: "With silence only as their benediction, God's angels come, where in the shadow of great affliction, the soul sits dumb." James Greenleaf Whittier
Karol Jackowski, Ph.D., became a nun in 1964. She's also been a college administrator, graduate of New York University, manager of a toy store, author of eight books, painter of religious folk art, and sister to everyone she meets. Please visit her website at KarolJackowski.com.
From: Victoria Klein | 7/26/10 at 9:52 am
The fantastical lack of patience I see today disturbs me greatly. The misconception that sitting still = doing nothing = waste of time needs to go!
From: Veronica Hargrove | 7/26/10 at 12:31 pm
JUST BEAUTIFUL. VERY MEANINGFUL TO READ. I DO NOT FEEL BAD ABOUT JUST SITTING STILL WHEN I AM DOWN AND OUT.
From: Virginia Bell | 7/27/10 at 9:34 pm
Another beautiful column; another valuable concept. It reminds me of what Liz Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) said. "You cannot see your reflection in moving water, only in still water." Blessings, Virginia
From: Pat Grabelle | 8/5/10 at 2:35 pm
thanks for reminding us that sitting still in the midst of misery is OK...I just sat down!