This past week was spring break for my daughter’s school. We needed to do something differently than we’d done since school started last fall. I decided to take her on an adventure to a local hotel with a pool. Change of scenery without the need to travel.
That day, we both decided to wear a T-Shirt a friend had gifted us that said ‘Be Still and Know’. Upon walking in to the hotel lobby, my daughter’s shirt was exposed. As we started the check in process, the person at the front desk asked my daughter if she understood the words on her shirt – she answered in the affirmative. I smiled and asked him if he understood, and he proceeded to tell me all about learning the lessons of patience. That’s been my struggle, and one of the reasons this verse is so important to me.
The irony of this situation is that when I tried calling the hotel to request early check in, I was unable to get through. But through my conversation with this gentleman, I got way better than I could ask. My friend pointed out that even though I hadn’t been able to get through on the phone, I still showed up nearly 3 hours earlier than the check in time, exercising faith, and was able to get early check in and enjoy the pool and amenities.
Part of my reason for choosing to get out of my normal environment was I don’t have a pool at home.. but more importantly, it’s extremely difficult for me to take a break while being home. There was always something that needed to be done, and if I’m home, I’d need to be ‘productive’. This time away was about ‘being still’ and not trying to be productive so that I could recharge my body and mind.
Are you struggling with slowing down or being still? Is there a way that you can step out of the norm? This season with full work from home has blurred the lines between work time and home time – so we feel like we are constantly on the go, and never fully resting. This causes perpetual exhaustion and burnout. Instead, how can you accept the offer to ‘be still’?
Father, thank you for those two words. While they are simple, they are probably two of the hardest words to put into practice. To slow down, to stop trying so hard, to trust you with the outcome, and not ourselves. Father, please continue to teach us how to simply slow down, and to trust you and the process.
