We are busy people! Filled with a sense of vague disquiet when we have nothing to do, our culture whispers to us that idleness is wasting valuable time. We work full-time and overtime. We sign ourselves and our families up for valuable, helpful lessons. We book dental appointments and doctors’ appointments. We renovate. We volunteer at our churches and in our community. We squeeze things in. We fill our calendars to the brim.
There are many life-giving, exciting and important opportunities to seize. And yet sometimes all we end up feeling is exhausted. Time with one’s family can feel like just another thing on the checklist – or worse – another thing we didn’t quite get around to.
It is Lent: a time to pause and reflect. Yet, one of the most difficult things for many of us to do is just to be still. But God commands it. He expects us to still our minds and our hands, to put down important and frivolous things alike and to just… stop. Remember that God is in control. Because all these noble (or foolish) endeavours in our lives can make us lose sight of what is most important. The Lord Almighty is with us.
It is good to work. Learning new things is wise. Taking care of our health is necessary. Volunteering is what keeps our churches and social programs alive. All these things are important. But taking time to stop and be with our Creator is the heartbeat that makes all the other activity possible. So add one more thing to your calendar: blank space. Calm yourself; be still and know that he is God.
Thank you for posting this! I work in a aged care home and one of the residents wanted me to print this Psalm. This is perfect, God Bless you.