By: Dr. Steve Bettner
Sometimes life hits you with a question mark so big it shakes your soul.
What should I do about this job?
How do I fix my relationship?
What do I say to my kids?
Should I stay or should I go?
We’ve all been there. Even José.
You know José—the one from the story. The simple fisherman. The one who lived life slow and loved it deep. The one who had time for his family, his guitar, and his afternoon siesta under the palms. But even José, with all his saltwater wisdom and sun-kissed peace, faces moments of uncertainty.
So, what does José do when José doesn’t know what to do?
Well, let me tell you—he used to do what a lot of us do.
The Old José would throw himself into work. Full immersion. Grind mode. Fill every minute with something productive and hope the noise drowned out the confusion. Stay busy and maybe—just maybe—the answers would sort themselves out.
But here’s the truth he learned, the same one many of us learn the hard way:
Busyness is not clarity. Distraction is not direction.
The new José?
He knows the answer’s not in the hustle. It’s in the hush.
So when life gets heavy or uncertain, José unplugs.
He goes still.
Not forever. Not as an escape. But to listen.
Sometimes that means strapping a tent to his back and hiking into the hills.
Sometimes it’s paddling a canoe across a quiet lake.
Sometimes it’s riding a horse down a dusty trail until the only thing you hear is hooves and heartbeats.
And sometimes… it’s just a beach, a towel, and the whisper of waves kissing the shore.
No phone. No meetings. No social media.
Just silence.
And the wind.
And God.
Because José figured out something we all need to remember:
God rarely shouts. He usually whispers.
And if your life is too loud, you’ll miss it.
The world will tell you the answers are in the next podcast, the next book, the next 10-step formula. But José knows—sometimes, the most spiritual, most responsible, most productive thing you can do is go outside and be still.
Not to quit. Not to run.
But to reset.
To remember.
To reconnect.
When you strip away the noise, you hear your own voice again. You hear God again. You hear the breeze and the still, small voice inside saying…
“This is the way. Walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:21)
So if you’re facing a big decision, or feel like you’ve hit a wall—try living like José. Get away. Not to escape, but to encounter.
Peace doesn’t chase you down in a traffic jam. Wisdom rarely waits at the end of a to-do list.
But it always shows up when you make space for it.
The answer is already in the breeze.
You just have to be still enough to hear it.
Live slow. Love deep. Listen close.
Live like José.
mexicanfisherman.com 