Recharging Our Batteries

Recharging Our Batteries

Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.

Matthew 11:28-30

A few years ago, we traveled through Europe with two other couples. One of our most enjoyable cities together was Milan, Italy, where food was scrumptious, the culture was rich, and our hotel couldn’t have been better. It looked over the Duomo—the cathedral—famous for the many treasures stored there including ivories, sacred vases in gold and silver, vestments, and tapestries, not to mention the gorgeous architecture itself. Our little group of six spent the better part of an afternoon there, literally sitting on the floor, backs against the wall, in the vestibule, relaxing in the cool breeze and sometimes talking for a moment about the sights and sounds we were taking in, but mostly sitting in silence.

At one point, as we sat studying the magnificent stained glass windows around us, a cleaning man who had noticed us lingering comfortably for quite some time spoke up. “Recharga your batteries?” he asked. We laughed in agreement, knowing we weren’t the first tired tourists to take respite in his cathedral. But we had misunderstood. “No, no,” he said, pointing to the electrical outlet near us. He proceeded to tell us about a young man and woman from South America he’d met some months earlier. They entered the Duomo each day for about a month and sat before a statue of Christ. The priests assumed they were just like any other devoted Catholics, coming for prayer. Day after day they came, sat for an hour or so, and left. One day the cleaning man noticed an unusual electrical cord leading from the plug used to provide electricity to light up the statue. Upon further examination, it turned out the young couple had been coming to church to charge up their cell phone battery.

Our new friend was checking to see if we were doing the same thing. “No,” said Les, “we’re just recharging our physical and spiritual batteries.”

The cleaning man smiled, pressed the tips of his fingers together, and with a slight bow said, “As you should. Very good.”

It is good, very good, for a couple to recharge their spiritual batteries. So many times we forget that an important part of marital communication is done in silence—giving our souls time to catch up with each other simply by being present and at peace. Surely this is what Scottish historian and essayist Thomas Carlyle was getting at in today’s quotation.

Take time to pause in the midst of your daily fray and simply tune in to the present moment together.

Silence is deep as Eternity; speech is shallow as Time.

—Thomas Carlyle