When Unplugged = Re-Charging

 'In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.'

~   Isaiah 30:15   ~

Kind of odd, isn't it.  We've got to plug in our screens to give them more juice, recharge the batteries before they fade, and keep those omnipresent electronic lifelines in tip-top running condition.

And yet the exact opposite is true for us as human beings.

We've got to unplug from those very same screens to breathe deep in solitude.  To recharge our waning energy, to revive the depths of who we are at the soul level, and invite the creative juices to flow with more oomph.

Especially us introverts.  {Don't miss what Holley Gerth says about loving us well!}

And that's pretty much what I'm going to be doing the next few weeks as we nest at our little Cape Cod haven.  My Mom hasn't been well so I plan on spending as much time with my parents as they can take {oh, no, is she here AGAIN?!}.  I'm hoping for endless walks, searching for those ever elusive hidden sea glass gems along deserted shorelines.  I plan to fill those yet unclaimed journal pages with deeply seated words that are yearning to be spilled out.   Assorted family members will be coming and going and I can't wait to spend some needed downtime with them as we turn the corner into autumn's soft glow. 

I'll be dropping in online very occasionally.  'Cause responding to your comments has become a non-negotiable joy around here!  But then I'll be stepping back again to rest and read, putter and walk, re-imagine and re-create.  And maybe lean straight into an serendipitous adventure or two.  Without all that endlessly enticing online stimulation. 

Unplugged.

I'll miss you.  I bet I'll even have some withdrawal symptoms.

Because sometimes the gift we need the most can be the hardest one to receive.

Hugs ~

~> If you've never subscribed to this online community, would you do so today?  And I'd love to know that you'll be here when I roll back on in ...

Her Introverted Life

There's no two ways about it.  I am an introvert.  Born and bred. 

That's no surprise to those who know me well.  Even if they wonder out loud why I don't leave my cellphone on 24/7.  Or text relentlessly back and forth.  Arrive wherever and head straight for the back row or a unobtrusive seat in the corner.  Say 'no thanks' to enthusiastic mingling and small talk with unknown souls.  And abhor crowds of unruly people like the bubonic plague. 

It's why I put an end to dragging my husband off to those huge, unwieldy counseling conferences.  Filled with noise and commotion, we'd spend 12 - 14 hour days packed shoulder to shoulder with thousands of attendees.  When all was said and done, the endless sessions and speakers and concerts left me burned out and hung over, instead of inspired and rejuvenated.

I'll take a silent retreat any day of the week. 

I play house and write and take care of the business of life. I work hard at keeping in touch with my far flung family and the friends who feed my soul.  A leisurely phone call, where I'll refuse to let the computer screen distract me from my focus on what's being spoken.  A heart to heart brunch, or curling up in a cushy chair at Panera's for a long-anticipated conversation.   And always aiming for a quiet time with God that matters and living a life that's sane and healthy.

All that peace and time and space is what equips me to be fully present with the women who venture into my counseling office two days a week.  And allows me to go full steam ahead through hour after hour of the deep, soul-searching, intense conversations that are my life blood.  And then I extend the graces of solitude and silence to myself when those sessions are over.

But more than ever, I love my evenings quiet. 

As the sun heads down we two usually eat a simple, peace-filled supper together.  We might play Scrabble or watch the news or talk about the family.  Go for a walk or head to DQ.  Maybe read quietly side by side with not a sound to mar the stillness.  Or he'll putter in his wood shop and I'll curl up and watch Chopped.  And then he'll make me a cup of hot chocolate {mine stacked high with whipped cream, his with one lone marshmallow}.

We savor the quietness of conversation and companionship ... and maybe a foot rub or two.  Or no conversation at all.  It doesn't matter, either way.  Because to be fully present, without a single word, is the greatest gift one soul can offer another.  And truth be told, that's the treasure that most of us are craving to receive.

No matter if you're introverted ... or not so much.
Linda

- thanks to Introverted Church and Pleated-Jeans for the illustration -

 

"10 Tips For Parenting an Introverted Child"

Have you been blessed with a little introvert in your home?  Baffled, just a bit frustrated, yet captivated by who she is?  I think you're going to appreciate Susan Cain's tips for parenting introverted children. 

An introverted lawyer, consultant, and author, Susan Cain has created a simple, yet comprehensive list that will greatly help moms and dads recognize who their introverted child is and equip these parents {and teachers and well-meaning relatives} to guide little introverts in a direction that acknowledges and respects the fullness of who they are.

The ones that really jumped out and grabbed me?

If you’re an introvert, try not to project your own history onto your child.

If your child is shy, don’t let her hear you call her by that label.

Teach her to stand up for herself.

Introverted kids usually have the capacity to develop great passions.

Cultivate these enthusiasms.

Respect your child’s desire for time and space to play alone.

Click here to discover all TEN TIPS ... along with some very wise observations.

I think you'll find that these illuminating guidelines will serve you well as you become a more astute, discerning student of your child, closely observing, appreciating, and delighting in who God has created her to be, with all her uniqueness, intricacies, and quirks.

And what if that little introvert is now almost as tall as you?  I believe that it's never too late for a fresh start.

May God give you wisdom, stamina, and joy as you "train a child in the way he should go"
{Proverbs 22:6}.

Linda