The Power of the Pause: Stillness Before the Battle
Stillness sounds peaceful — until you’re asked to live it.
When the angels told me it was time to pause, peace was the last thing I felt. I was angry. I wanted to keep serving, helping, moving forward. Being benched felt like my purpose had been interrupted. Over time, I realized the pause wasn’t taking me away from purpose — it was preparing me for its next expression.
As I’ve sat with this stillness, I’ve noticed how perfectly it mirrors the rhythm of the earth. In late fall, the earth herself begins to rest. The soil quiets, the trees draw energy back to their roots, and life slows its visible pace so unseen healing can take place. The pause of winter is not lifeless — it is the gathering of strength, the deep restoration before new growth begins.
This season of my life feels much the same. It’s alignment — physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and energetic. It’s the healing of my entire being so that when the next storm comes, I am strong, clear, and ready. It’s the stillness before the battle, the quiet breath before the next great movement of light.
For me, that alignment has touched every part of life.
Physically, I’ve returned to movement that builds both strength and resilience. I’m back to Pilates Reformer classes and Taebo — the kind of workouts that once left me gasping and now remind me how powerful the body can become when it’s supported, nourished, and consistent. I can climb stairs and walk for an hour without effort. That, to me, is a victory. I’m also paying closer attention to what I eat — choosing foods that energize, sustain, and align with my healing.
Emotionally, I’m learning to recognize what I feel, where I feel it in my body, and how to allow emotions to move through me rather than hold me hostage. I’ve been working with Thaeda Franz in Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, meeting the parts of me that carry old stories and patterns. Some are tender, some are fierce, and each holds wisdom. By listening, I’ve begun to bring those parts back into harmony.
Spiritually, I’ve deepened my relationship with the Divine through stillness and surrender. I’ve been studying Change Me Prayers by Tosha Silver, a beautiful exploration of the hidden power of spiritual surrender. Each prayer creates space for grace to flow — a reminder that transformation doesn’t come from striving; it comes from allowing the Divine to move through every part of life.
And within this pause, I’ve reignited my creativity. I’ve started quilting again — blending color, pattern, and story with my hands. Quilting has become a form of therapy and reflection. Each stitch brings rhythm to thought, calm to emotion, and joy to the act of creation. It’s a reminder that healing isn’t always solemn; sometimes it hums softly through fabric, laughter, and the warmth of doing something you love.
This pause is an opportunity for growth and renewal — the same way the earth prepares for spring beneath layers of quiet. It’s where healing gathers strength, wisdom deepens, and the light within rebalances itself.
This pause is where I am being refined, strengthened, and fortified for what will come when I am again allowed to rejoin the battle. The stillness is its own kind of training ground — one that works in silence, shaping endurance and deepening faith. When the time comes, I will step forward with clarity, anchored in love, and carrying the wisdom that only stillness can teach.
✨ Reflection:
When life slows your pace or redirects your focus, what if that pause is an invitation to heal, realign, and prepare for the next rise of your light?
