Happy New Year!
I was cleaning out my office the other day when I came across this quote on a post-it note:
May we be still,
May we be quiet,
May we ask God to speak into that silence.
-Henri Nouwen
Reading these words with the new year on the horizon caused me to pause.
I don’t know about you, but I usually head into a new year ready with my own ideas, goals, and plans. This quote left me asking the question…
Am I still and quiet enough to listen to what God wants for me this year, or do I rush ahead, creating my own plans without prayer or guidance?
The reality is, the latter is often true.
Can you relate?
Even as I’ve tried to practice stillness over the past few days since reading this quote, I’m far from doing it perfectly. A verse that comforts me in that truth is…
We make our plans, but the Lord directs our steps.
—Proverbs 16:9
I share this in case you, too, are entering the new year full of ideas, plans, and goals. I want to invite you to join me to…
pause. breathe. pray.
May we be still.
May we be quiet.
May we ask God to speak into the silence not just today, but every day.
May we listen and follow where He leads.
And when we don’t know what that is, may we still make our plans and trust that if we’re headed in the wrong direction, God is faithful to redirect our steps. May we practice being still and quiet enough within to notice His gentle promptings.
So as we enter 2026, maybe the first thing we need to do is simply be.
Be still with God, trusting that He sees what’s ahead and will lead us far better than we will lead ourselves.
With love and hope,
Shawn