To most of us the humble garden snail is regarded as a pest which spends its time eating our plants. But snails are actually very lucky creatures, living as they do within a shell, they can withdraw into their shell away from the world around them and spend time on their own.

Human beings are not so fortunate and we have no way of isolating ourselves instantly from the outside world. We have to make a special effort to get away from noise, friction, emotional stress and the constant talk and chatter that rules our lives. There are however, people who cannot contemplate life without being occupied with something all the time. They have an absolute horror of silence, spend most of their time on their mobile phones and dread being alone with themselves and their own thoughts.

But there is value in silence, Jesus knew it and had to get away from it all from time to time, to rest and replenish his physical and spiritual energies and to be alone with his Father. This gave him time to think, meditate and pray, without constant distraction from outside. He told his disciples, "You must come to some lonely place all by yourselves, to rest a while."

We may not always be able to go to a house of prayer, but from time to time we also need to step away from the noise and bustle of our own lives and find some quiet place it could be in our own home, the countryside or a secluded place in a local park, just to be alone with ourselves and our God. Alone with the God who made us, removed from the problems of everyday living and we will be led to discover who we are and what life is really all about.

It is in these special times, in His presence, that we will find true rest and peace of mind.