I’m a “type A” get-a-ton-done girl.
Always have been.
But recently, I’ve been taking the Bible verse, “Be still and know that I am God,” (Psalm 46:10) more seriously than ever.
Specifically the “be still” part.
I was first challenged to be still and simply be with God for 20 minutes each day. My first thought was, “Are you kidding? There’s so much I can be doing in that 20 minutes!”
Be still.
I decided to give it a try. I’m a firm believer that we should always be growing in our faith.
My first “be still” experience was what I expected: I did pretty well for the first five minutes, but then I squirmed. I watched the clock. I thought I would crawl out of my skin.
But I’m not one to give up easily. There’s got to be a reason that God tells us to be still and I haven’t discovered it yet.
My second “be still” experience was better. I did well for 10 minutes before it got challenging. And I found myself feeling a calm I hadn’t experienced before in the minutes and hours after my experience.
On my next experience, I fell asleep after ten minutes of being still. I slept for about 30 minutes in my chair. Now, I don’t sleep sitting up…not even on an overnight flight on an airplane when I’m exhausted. I knew my ability to fall asleep here was because I had experienced a true sense of calm and peace.
Each time I am still, I’ve experienced God’s peace like never before.
What am I thinking about during my “be still” times? Simply God’s presence. It’s like sitting quietly with a friend, enjoying one another’s presence, but not needing to say much. When I become more aware of God’s presence in my life, I worry less. I trust Him more.
Culturally, we’re a go-go-go society. Today’s challenge is to take some time to “be.” Just be with God.
If you work, try it on your lunch break. If you’re at home with your kids, take 10 minutes during nap time. If you’re a morning person, get up a few minutes early to sit with God. If you’re a night owl, take some time before bed. Expect yourself to be uncomfortable with the silence at first. Keep persevering. I know without a doubt you’ll find what I have found.
Be still…and know that I am God.
Ok, so I did the twenty minutes of quiet stillness. I am now concerned that I am mentally unbalanced. I literally could not get my brain to be quiet. I ended up having to open a task window on my phone and making lists of all the things that popped in my head. I could move on after I got them on my list, but I couldn’t get my brain quiet the whole twenty minutes. I tried, and I even ended up humming a hymn and a praise song, but quiet I didn’t get. Kinda scared to try it again. My to-do list might grow again!
Shannon, don’t get discouraged. That is NORMAL! I usually have a pen and notebook right beside me so I can write those things down when they come to mind. That way they leave my mind, because I trust that they are on the paper. Keep committing yourself to learning to “be” with God. It will change with time!