Be Still.

Psalm 46:10 - "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"

Be still.

How many hundreds of times have I heard/read/been reminded of that verse?

Be still.

However many times I've come across it, you know what I focus on? "...and know that I am God."

And that's important. So very, very important. But you know what else is important?

Be still.

Be still.

Be still.


At the direction of a very wise friend, I took some time this weekend to be still. To "stop striving", as she put it. To "stop analyzing". To just be.

I organized the documents on my computer, because I do things like that, and happened across some old poetry I wrote that's good. Good. And I don't say that about myself often. I did some writing - some real writing, creating from the depths of my soul, which I haven't done in eons. I did some drawing. I used to draw all the time. I had a sketchbook full of drawings. I was never great, but I was good, and I enjoyed it, and I literally cannot remember the last time I drew something.

I took a nap. And I didn't feel the least bit guilty about it.

Be still.

You know what I didn't do? I didn't think about how much I needed to do. How busy I was.

See, I have this theory.

I'm 24 years old. I work 30 hours a week. I am married, but have no children (yet). I (or my husband, or both of us) generally have something going on most nights of the week. I generally feel busy.

How many times have people asked how I am and I've responded, "Busy, but good," or something similar. How many times have I texted a friend after not talking for awhile and prefaced it by saying, "Sorry, things have been crazy around here."

But then I look around and the other people in my life who are busy. Who, on top of their own commitments, have kids, and whose kids have commitments. Who, like my sister, are taking a thousand credits this semester at school and also running a newspaper.

I don't think I'm busy.

I'm turbulent.

Be still.

See, even when I have down time, even when I'm sitting on my sofa and don't have to be anywhere for three hours, you know what I'm doing in my head?

Running around in circles.

Because that's what I've grown used to.

For me, business isn't a situational occurrence. It's an attitude.

Be still.

We live in a fast paced, bustling busy culture. And I'm fully aware that some of you are really busy. But what if we lived like we weren't?

Be still.

What if we lived like each moment we have is perfect and precious and enough, and that we will get to the other stuff when it comes?

What if we were still? Despite what is or is not going on in our lives, what if we stop? If we slow down. Take a deep breath. Open our eyes to where we are and just be.

You know what I think?

I think that's where God moves.

Be still, and know that I am God.