Blooming in Stillness

Introduction: A Scripture That Stayed with Me

“You might be familiar with this passage in scripture: Be still and know that I am God. It stayed with me for years, echoing in my mind as I wondered what it truly meant.

From Instruction to Revelation

For a long time, I treated those words as an instruction—something I was supposed to do. During prayer, I would try to keep quiet and wait for God to speak. But on several occasions while meditating, the words suddenly entered my consciousness and became powerful and alive in my heart. They went beyond concept.

A Heart Overflowing

My heart overflowed with indescribable love and peace. Tears ran down my face. I had a profound sense of being seen and held by God. I felt special. I felt whole. I felt enough.

You have to understand—I’m merely using words to describe the essence of the experience. And though descriptive, they fall short.

Stillness as a State of Being

“Be still” is not an action or inaction. It’s a state of being. An inner knowing that I am loved, guided, and protected—no matter what I do, no matter where I am, no matter the circumstances.

Meditation as Allowing

I realized that meditation isn’t about controlling or suppressing thoughts and emotions. It’s about accepting and allowing them to flow naturally.

The Flower That Spoke to Me

For example, flowers have been recurring in my thoughts lately—even when I don’t physically see any. Instead of dismissing these thoughts, I got curious. Why flowers?

I let my mind linger on them, and I started feeling happy. My rational mind questioned why I’d pay attention to something so trivial. But I began noticing the deeper qualities of a flower: its effortless beauty, its gradual unfolding. It seems aware of its ephemeral nature, yet at peace with it. It takes its time to bloom. It knows its purpose and lives it—to be fragrant and exude pleasantness to the world.

God must be delighted by this delicate creature—perhaps even more than I am. And if that’s true, then He must be pleased with me too, and with the rest of His creations. Even when I make what seems to me a mistake and begin to beat myself up, I imagine God chuckling and saying, “You’re taking yourself too seriously.” That gentle reminder softens my heart. It invites me to release judgment and return to grace. Just like the flower, I am allowed to bloom imperfectly, in my own time

No Right or Wrong Way

There are no right or wrong thoughts. Just allow every experience to unfold.

There’s no right or wrong way to meditate, although learning techniques can help establish routine and build consistency. The books by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Jack Kornfield, and Thich Nhat Hanh were instrumental in my meditation journey. They offer helpful guidance and profound insights into mindfulness.

“In our time, in our civilization, sitting and doing nothing is considered either to be a luxury or a waste of time. But sitting in meditation can produce the most nourishing calm and joy, and we can all afford some time to sit.”— Thich Nhat Hanh

An Invitation to Begin

If this blog speaks to you, I encourage you to explore and experiment with meditation. You can check out the authors I mentioned or download a free meditation app like Insight Timer or Headspace.

Better yet, if you feel like connecting with me, feel free to book a call or send an email to connect@vanillalily.net. I’d be very happy to chat with you.