a quiet pause
If you ask anyone today, “How are you?”, most likely the answer will be “Busy!”. In our busy, hurried culture, one thing that is missing is a quiet pause. Scripture calls us “to be still and know” that He is God (Pslam 46:10). To be still and wait patiently for God (Psalm 27:14). Oh how hard that is! In a culture of microwaves and Instagram, we want it fast, we want it now, we don’t have time to wait…but, we are filling our time with so much and missing the one thing that matters most…the joy of being still and sitting in God’s presence.
Yes, God is present in our busyness. We must learn to recognize that as well (and that’s another blog, another day). However, we must not miss the source of our strength.
My life can get pretty busy… Even in the busiest of lives, we have moments. A few minutes here or there to take a quiet pause. We can reclaim a few minutes while we are waiting at practice or in the car rider line or for a meeting. We may have a lunch break or nap time. We can turn off the texting, Facebook, twitter, email and TV. Get up a few minutes early or stay up a few minutes late. Our hurried culture says we have to fill all moments, but God says no! He tells us to be still!
One of my first jobs was in a department store. A sweet, older lady worked with me. During her breaks, I would often see her reading her Bible and then she would lay her head down on the table. At the time, I thought maybe she was napping (remember she was old – at least to an 18 year old). But, looking back, I believe she was finding her quiet pause, her quiet moment in a busy day.
The story has also been told of Susannah Wesley, mother to John and Charles Wesley (great evangelists and theologians) and 17 other children (9 of which died in infancy). She had the practice of throwing her apron over her head when she needed a few minutes of prayer time…when she needed a quiet pause in the middle of a busy life in the 1600’s. Her children knew not to bother her when they saw the apron. That is how she found her quiet moments.
I am inspired by both of these women. What worked for them may not work for you or me. What works for me may not work for you either. However, I do know when I carve out a quiet pause in my day, I begin to still and quiet my hurried soul (Psalm 131:2). When I do that, I find peace in God’s presence. As I lay down the worries, distractions, activities, and to-do lists, I find my strength in the one who holds the stars…I can trust in him and I am helped (Psalm 28:7).