From “Autumn Leaves,” by the Rev. Russell Levenson Jr.

One of the ways Christians have made room for the peace of Christ is to purposely set aside time to, in the words of the psalmist, “be still” and know God. The only way to allow for this kind of spiritual hibernation is to make the time and space for it. We traditionally have called this practice prayer; but essentially, it is any time and any place where we bury all of the voices and visions and thoughts competing for God, and instead give our minds to Him. Reading this devotional is a form of that, as is reading your Bible. Prayer can be conversation with God using words spoken or thought, or it can merely silence. We know we are called to this activity, but for some of us (and I have certainly been guilty of this!), it can merely be another item to check off of my to-do list.

The real treasure of spiritual hibernation is intimacy with God. Sue Monk Kidd has suggested, “Intimacy with God does not develop without sacrifice. Mostly it is our reluctance we sacrifice.” What keeps us from making this space part of our daily lives is simply activity and we are reluctant to give up something that is an almost constant traveling companion. Yet, as Henri Nouwen wrote, “In solitude, we meet God.”

Perhaps it is time to make daily, regular, spiritual hibernation a regular pattern in your life. You choose the place and time of your cave, but when you get there give it the time it deserves — the more you do, the more intimate your experience of God, no question about it. And while you’re at it — let it rest — let the peace of Christ become something that is not an occasional visitor, but something that rules in your heart.