Francis de Sales on Seeing God in All Things & not Losing Your Peace

I finally have a few moments of quiet to write to you. Anyone who blogs knows how it goes. You have a sincere desire to get back to the blog but have one main problem.............life keeps happening!

I have a desire to type as fast as my fingers can go so I can get this thought out to you before I hear footsteps coming toward me, but then that would not be a very good thing to do. For one thing, it is not much of a witness of the peace of Christ in me to you.

Besides, I would be under terrible conviction of not trusting God with the time He gives me (I do think of you and pray for you even when I can't quite get to my laptop to blog to you!). I think it was that great missionary to China, Hudson Taylor, who said, "God's work, done God's way, will never lack God's supply." (or something very near that) So I need to trust God for even giving me time to blog.  

The one quote that gets me when I start feeling that frantic side of me take over is by a wise man from the 17th century, St. Francis de Sales. I have come to love it. It reads: 

"Strive to see God in all things without exception. Acquiesce in His will with absolute submission. Do everything for God, uniting yourself to Him by a mere upward glance, or by the overflowing of your heart towards Him. Never be in a hurry. Do everything quietly and with a calm spirit. Do not lose your inward peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset."

I can tell you that I by no means do everything quietly and with a calm spirit. I'd have to say that my natural way is quite the opposite. I recently found out that even the way I talk is rather rushed, hectic, and un-relaxed. I know so because I just found out at the doctor's office last week! I'll tell you the story.

I've been having a raspy, sort of hoarse voice for many weeks. When I read aloud at night as I do Mary's homework with her, I practically lose my voice. I finally decided to go to the ear, nose and throat doctor. He told me—in a matter of fact way—he was going to stick a camera in my throat via my nose! 

They numbed me up first, and away went the camera. The doctor proceeded to tell me that I had calluses similar to blisters on my vocal chords. I wondered how that could be. He said it was from "overuse of the voice."

He (and later the speech therapist) asked me if I sang a lot. I told them I sang, but not a tremendous amount. The therapist asked me if I was a yeller. I told her no. She asked me if I yelled at sporting events. I told her no; I told her I clapped my hands and let the other people yell. She asked me if I smoked or if I ever smoked. No. I had not. She spoke next.

"Do you talk a lot?"
 "Yes."
"Do you drink a lot of water?" 
"No."

Then she explained to me that was all it took. That was it. She said, "It's overuse of your voice."

My next thought was only of my husband. I thought, he is going to have a hey day with this. I say about 20,000 words to every 100 he says, so I knew he was going to like this.

The speech therapist told me that I also wasn't breathing enough while I spoke. She said I was doing it right there in front of her. She said I said too many words per breath. She showed me the correct way, and I'm supposed to be practicing, while also talking more breathy sort of like Marilyn Monroe! She said that would give my vocal chords a chance to heal.

She said she doesn't want me to stop talking, but to learn how to talk in a more relaxed way. I am not kidding! (along with intentionally drinking water throughout the day) This is the latest thing on my plate, but sadly, I keep forgetting! Then I think, oh yeah, Marilyn, I'm supposed to be talking like Marilyn Monroe! ☺ I'm afraid I've been an awful patient, and next time she is videoing my throat while I talk!

Oh, my goodness, I'm out of time. I wanted to give you a prayer for the new year, but I will do that next time. Maybe today we can all remember that as Francis de Sales said, "Unite yourself to Him with a mere upward glance....do not lose your inward peace for anything." (That is definitely something that I can do! We can do that wherever we may be! At work! At school! In traffic! For me, especially when the therapist videos my throat as I talk!)

Walk by Faith,