Linger Longer
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“I wait for the Lord to help me, and I trust his word. I wait for the Lord to help me.” Psalm 130:5-6
As I looked up into the early morning sky, I was mesmerized by the vast number of stars that lit the sky. It was magical, and I just wanted to stand and stare into the sky. As I ran that morning, I kept looking up and taking in the beauty of the morning stars. Later that day, as we walked in the park, the sky was a brilliant blue with wispy angel wing clouds. I was again in awe of God’s creation, and I felt a weight lift from my heart. I wanted to just linger in the beauty and the feeling of peace without any thought of the worries in the world.
To linger is to stay in a place longer than planned because of a reluctance to leave. It is to take one’s time, dilly-dally, stick around. When one lingers, you pause and contemplate longer than usual. You take your time and wait. Something catches your eye or touches your heart and causes you to linger. Do you ever linger, or are you always in a hurry, always busy with too much on your mind? You do not like to waste time and wait for anything so lingering seems non-productive without purpose.
In grief, we linger – we need to take our time and just be. We are reluctant to leave the past and the feelings and the life that was familiar and our normal routine. Lingering is a healthy part of grief. We linger in the memories, in the joy of shared life, and in the life we had. We linger in our feelings and emotions. We wait for the Lord’s help to guide us and to take our hand and walk with us through the pain and loss. Sometimes we even linger at the cemetery not wanting to be there but not wanting to leave either.
Lingering should not be regarded as a negative trait. It is part of a pause, but it contains more reflection and thought-provoking contemplation. It slows us down to ponder what we see and feel. We breathe in God’s creation and its beauty. We get lost in the vastness, the simplicity, and the feelings of being embraced by God. It is lingering in God’s Word – the Bible – and not just read the words and study its meaning, but to truly hear each word as spoken by God in our hearts. God is speaking directly to you and me. Linger in the hearing and the listening.
Linger in a song – allow the words and the rhythm of the beat and the melody to penetrate your soul and heal your broken and weary heart. Music is healing. Slow yourself down and close your eyes and take in the movement and depth of meaning of the song. God can speak directly to you through a song. No matter how you feel, there is a song that will speak to that emotion and help you. Linger in the feelings that music brings. Linger in the songs that stimulate your worship.
Linger in prayer. Don’t rush through giving a list to God and making prayer a task to be completed. Prayer is conversation with the One who loves you the most. It is like crawling up into the lap of your Heavenly Father and sharing your heart and listening to His words of love. Linger in prayer. Be still and quiet and listen. Linger and receive God’s love and grace and acceptance. Linger throughout the day in conversation with God.
Linger in memories. Oh, the things that trigger a past memory. It is usually something simple or just a random thought that enters our minds, and we go to a memory. Memories remind us that we were loved, we had relationships, we were young, we had experiences and adventures. Give yourself permission to remember and linger in the good moments and remind yourself what you learned in the not so good memories. Linger, remember, and give thanks.
Linger in conversations. We tend to be quick in some of our interactions – “How are you?” “Fine.” “What’s been going on?” “Just busy with family.” “Great talking with you.” “See you soon.” Not much depth to this interaction. Why are we always in a hurry? Slow down and linger in conversations with people you love and have not seen for a while. Listen to their hearts and share yours with them. There is a reason you have a relationship. Don’t ignore it and stop nurturing it.
Linger in God’s presence. Yes, we linger in prayer as we talk and listen to God, but to linger in God’s presence does not involve words but awareness. It is lingering in the sunset and smiling knowing God created it for you to see. It is lingering in the beauty of the leaves and knowing God made each leaf and tree. It is lingering in your emotions and feelings knowing God understands without speaking a word. It is lingering in the moment knowing God is with you. It is lingering in the sacred space with God.
Linger at the table and talk with those seated around it. Find ways to linger and truly enjoy the moments of life instead of rushing through them. Linger in your thoughts and allow yourself time to daydream and enjoy the stillness of your soul. Linger in nature. Linger with a loved one. Linger in the memories. Linger with Jesus.
