Be Still

by Timothy Howe

Typical Day
     The alarm clock goes off. It's five a.m. The mind is wrested from the dream sphere. The head lifts from the pillow followed by stretching, dressing, and then the morning's exercise. Shower, shave, brush teeth, dress again. Read a few inspirational verses from the Bible. After that, water the garden, make breakfast, rush children to get dressed and ready for school. 
     Turn on the computer. How has the "to do" list grown exponentially since last night? Twenty-four emails and three texts to return. Four very important phone calls to make. Several urgent work assignments due immediately loom just behind the one that is past due. Get to the office. More phone calls await. Knock out two emails to find that five have taken their place. Work non-stop through the morning and the "to do" list grows? 
     Phone call disrupts all plans - have to make a visit to someone in great need. Grab lunch, attend 1:00 meeting, have a productive afternoon, but still behind on assignments. Have to take a couple home. 
     Time to head home, oh but wait, today is soccer practice. And volunteered to coach tonight. What time is that? Oh, now! Rush home. Attend practice. Gulp down dinner. Help kids with homework. Try to catch up with work assignments left undone. Stop part way to help kids through bedtime routine. 
     Go back to finish assignment, where was I? Knock that assignment out. It's 11:14. Should work a little more, but why am I so tired? I guess I'll get to that one tomorrow. Brush teeth, get ready for bed, lay down. It's 11:31. 
     The body is exhausted, the mind keeps going... I should have spent more quality time with my wife tonight. Why did I get so upset with the kids this evening? Ah, man, I meant to have called Mr Johnson today. Wait a minute, I need to redo that last assignment - I should have written... etc... Look at the clock - 11:52. I need to fall asleep.    ...   5:00 a.m. the alarm goes off.


Does this sound something like your day? It seems that if anything categorizes us today, it is the word busy. We are all busy. In fact, it seems that we are all too busy. If we are lucky, we stay ahead barely. Most of us don't seem to be capable of that though. We live with the constant pressure of more to get done. 


I am convinced that we are not meant to live this way. We were not created human doings. We are human beings. Life is so much more than what we accomplish. And yet, we spend our time rushing from accomplishment to accomplishment. How can we change things? 


Time-Out
When a sporting event seems to be out of control a coach has a valuable tool. It is called a "time-out." That means that play stops. The team regroups, recenters, refocuses, and restarts. In a time-out, usually the coach will focus attention on what really matters so that the team can be most effective. 


Call Time-Out
We need to call time-out periodically. If your day is anything like the one described above. Find moments to call time-out. 


Psalm 46:10 (ESV) says

Be still, and know that I am God.

We will look at why the Lord wants us to be still and know that He is God starting tomorrow. Today, let's make our "urgent assignment" to find time to simply BE STILL. Can we do that? Let's find moments to halt the merry-go-round, get off and be still. Go to a quiet place, take a walk, turn off the TV, put the computer to sleep, park somewhere and just Be Still. Let the King of heaven speak to you.

For your pleasure, I have embedded Steven Curtis Chapman's song, Be Still and Know" below. May it help you be Be Still. 

Be Still.