June 14, 2021

Paulina De La Fuente
“Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. […] Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.”
Mark 3:7,13
“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”
Psalm 37:7

In Mark chapter 3 alone, I see a couple of different scenarios where Jesus pulls away from the crowds and His immediate ministry. Coupled with the first section of chapter 3, I see Jesus emphasizing what it means to withdraw from the world and our normal pace of life in order to rejuvenate so that we can do even greater things.If even Jesus, being fully God and lacking nothing, chose to pull away and find rest periodically, why can I be so reluctant to do the same? Recently I’ve been practicing something called “Silence and Centering,” where three times a day, I take a small 1-3 minute break from whatever I’m doing and (re-)tune in with God. During this time, I release anything to God that is immediately pertinent, briefly look over and reflect on a verse for that time of day, and consciously breathe in God’s grace and strength to live through the next segment of time well. It’s been such a simple and yet day-altering process. Three times a day, it reminds me to recenter on God and His purposes for me each day. While a set day of rest and more time in God’s word is also essential, this Silence and Centering can be a practical tool to withdraw from the pressures and weight of the day-to-day in order to stay grounded on God’s ways.