Be Still

Be Still. These two little words are defining my entire world right now. Oh, I’m most definitely still. Now, 4 days post knee surgery, I can’t walk without crutches so the normal day-to-day that I was used to has come to a screeching halt. And that ‘normal’ had already experienced a dramatic slow down from my previous pace (you can read that story here if you haven’t already: https://www.wotherspoonbooks.com/hindsights3040/2020/4/22/life-was-a-highway-now-its-more-like-a-country-backroad-and-im-thankful )

I’m not a still person by nature. I’m always moving, always multitasking, always rotating my irons in the fire while simultaneously juggling balls in the air and keeping a plethora of plates spinning. “Still'“ struggles to exist in my vocabulary in the midst of my everyday circus.

And yet being still is all I can do right now. I’ve prayed for this for years, believe it or not. I’ve begged God to teach me how. It’s almost comical when He chooses a lesson plan that I have zero authority to do anything about. And yet, I’m thankful. Frustrated, but grateful nonetheless. You see, a busy lifestyle also comes with a lack of perspective. There’s this innate inability to stop and take inventory of how things are really going. You can’t, there’s no time. Being busy can feel productive, being still can feel painful. But the reality is it’s actually the other way around.

In the stillness, there’s a purpose to the pause. It comes with a unique opportunity to step outside of our chaotic worlds, to take a deep breath and see life for what it is, to prioritize, and to reevaluate what and who really need our attention in the here and now. Being still is our key to moving forward - oh, the irony! If we remain stagnant in our daily lives, jumping from hoop to hoop out of a habitual need to constantly meet deadlines or stay afloat with the household projects, we can’t possibly understand where we can make alterations and impact actual, life-altering, change.

Periods of stillness allow for an adjustment in vision so we can see the landscape of our lives in a way that gives us true perspective and permission to flip on our turn signal and merge into different lanes. Sometimes we become blinded by the day to day and a little shift in our trajectory is all we need to notice that one mom that could use an extra meal from time to time or that friend who has clearly been struggling but has only shown it in subtle ways. How about that missions trip you’ve always wanted to go on but never could seem to carve out the days to make it happen, the couple down the street that you thought about inviting over but your crazy schedule just couldn’t allow for this social convenience or that field trip your child is begging you to attend but a looming work commitment makes this extra calendar item seem out of the question?

These are the moments where our lives are truly lived but they are the ones that also seem to always take a backseat to our daily grind. The expense reports, the house cleaning, the balance in our savings accounts - these are important but they shouldn’t command the weight we voluntarily give to them. They aren’t God’s primary plan for our priorities and presence on this earth and they certainly won’t afford us the peace we so desperately crave. That can only come with honoring Christ by investing in others.

So be still, friends. Be still and be honest and be brave. There are bigger things beyond this immediate horizon, we just have to get past our shallow steps on the shore in order to reach them.