Living in OverflowSample

Inhale and Exhale Together

As a podcaster, author, wife, and mom, Tara Sun has learned a lot about reaching the end of herself. But even in the middle of her most desperate moments — including struggling with fibromyalgia — God has pulled her closer and taught her important biblical truths. Now, she’s sharing those truths with other women as she teaches them how to live out God’s Word. So join us as we talk about how she prioritizes her relationship with God despite a busy schedule.

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I don’t know about you, but more often than not, my brain feels loud. It’s a daily fight to quiet my mind and silence the noise around me. And if I’m being completely honest, I often lose the fight. The pull toward social media is tempting. The ease of flipping on Netflix and watching a show is tempting. The itch to do “just one more thing” and refuse to be still is certainly tempting.

As I mentioned, I’ve managed to live like this. I’ve survived. But I never thrived. It wasn’t until I had my son and began figuring out what it looked like to be a working mom that I said, “Enough is enough.” The mental load of work and ministry is one thing, but then add on being a new mom, and you can likely imagine what happened. Days came and went, and when the baby was finally put to sleep, a moment when I could finally rest in silence, I chose to stay busy. It was easier to push past the noise and stimulation instead of getting serious about stillness.

It’s taken hard and fast boundaries (which I’m still learning and giving grace for), but I’ve been prioritizing the spiritual practice of stillness and what it means to, in the stillness, know that God is God. Where God is the main character of the story. Where God isn’t just a background character or an afterthought but the hero who deserves my undivided attention. This looks like crawling into bed, shutting off my phone, putting my laptop and iPad in my office, and even closing my books in exchange for silence. It’s just me and God. It was uncomfortable at first, but now, I look forward to this time when we can inhale and exhale together. Where I have actually made space for myself to focus on the one Person that matters. Where I can pray without being interrupted or distracted.

That is what silence does for us. It quiets the distractions and false gods and gives us Jesus. Simply Jesus.

—Tara Sun, Host of Truth Talks with Tara, as told to Rapt Interviews.