
Oh, how I like to be busy. I like to have my schedule chock full of fun things that I am doing. Between church and Special Olympics events for my daughter, we had something planned every night of the week followed by tournaments on Saturdays and church activities on Sundays.
And, it was killing us. Both of us.
We were too busy.
Until COVID-19 hit us all like a tsunami.
Iโve changed a lot of things in my life since the pandemic began. And, Iโm grateful for the time it has allotted me to make much-needed shifts in our lives. I have learned to be still and breathe.
Well, Iโm better at it anyway.
Today, I want to share with you the three things Iโm focusing on to help me be still and not leap into the โbusy trap.โ
First off, Busy โ Important
Letโs get back to the novel coronavirus. I donโt see whatโs so โnovelโ about it, but thatโs for another day.
My daughter and I were at first devasted with the rest of our fellow Americans when everything was shut down. I already homeschooled her so that didnโt stop for us, but when our church had to close its doors and our sports activities came to a screeching halt, we did feel the initial impact of social distancing did to our world. But after a few days, when my childโs anxiety level decreased drastically, . Do you have this lie swimming around your head saying that the busier you are, the more important you are? Let that thing drown! Let we wash away like yesterdayโs eyeliner. Being busy doesnโt equal anything but being busy. Does your busy take you away from reading a book to your kids? Does being busy take away from a romantic evening with your partner? Does being busy restrain you rather than propel you forward in your dream?
I urge you to take some time to look are your calendar today, and seriously ask yourself, โWhat can go?โ
Good things happen when youโre still.
In Psalm 46:10, God tells us, โโBe still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.โ Being still is vital to being able to listen. Growing up, I yielded to society. I was always listening to music. I always had the TV on. I always had noise on to distract me.
But now, I mostly drive in silence, and the TVโin my part of the house anywayโis off unless I have something specifically that Iโm going to sit down and enjoy. When Iโm still and in the quiet, I can chat with God. The best part? I can listen without distraction for the next steps He has for me. I want to be able to hear everything God has to tell me.
One aspect of being still is something a lot of us donโt want to deal withโwaiting. We want what we want right now. Most of us (including me) are conditioned that the longest we want to wait is for a few seconds for a download or for a few minutes for our food to appear in a drive-thru window.
But, powerful things happen in the โwait.โ
Isaiah 40:31 say:
โbut those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.โ
And, Psalm 27:14 says:
Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!
Waiting and being still are powerful adversaries working for us to show us what God has for us. Be in the โwaitโ today and be still and see what happens.
Channel your inner โPhoebeโโฆkinda
For years, Iโve found myself teetering between and โPhoebeโ and a โMonica.โ Do you know what I mean? One moment I am elbow deep in cleaning the fridge; gloves on, bucket of water and baking soda. Later on, Iโm elbow deep in to-go containers, shoving them to the side as I search for the last known packet of ketchup in the back of the fridge to put on my fries. Then I slam the refrigerator door shut for โanother day.โ
Where is my middle ground?
I know that neither one is the best option. Iโm either all or nothing. Iโm that person that canโt watch โHoardersโ without cleaning and tossing things in boxes to donate. And I canโt watch Monk for fear of being so โMonk.โ I fight my own inner tendencies, but they all come down to one thing:
I am not in control.
And, you arenโt either. Does this scare you? It does me! I like control. I like everything in its place. I like to color-code my time map of each day so I know what I will be doing every second in the name of productivity. (It actually helps me, so if youโd like to know more about it, let me know. )
I am a Time-map junky. But, as hard as I try, there are always shifts in my day. My daughter needs me (Sheโs top priority.) Our dog needs to go outside. And, those inevitable trips to the bathroom in the most inopportune moments.
I am not in control.
So, I breathe. And, remind myself that God is. Proverbs 19:21 says. โThe human mind may devise many plans, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established.โ (NRSV)
James 4:13-16 tells us:
13 โCome now, you who say, โToday or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money.โ 14 Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, โIf the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that.โ 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.โ
God is in control.
I need to lean more toward my inner โPhoebeโ at times and just go with the flow. God has all my plans laid out anyway. Thereโs nothing that a day planner, a pen and an elaborate scheme of highlighters can change.
I pray these three things help you on your journey. I pray that you see what is above at the right hand of God, and I pray that He will be with you always.
I will leave you with this scripture today. Be blessed!
Isaiah 41:10
โSo do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.โ
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