Sunday Sentiments: Being Still

 

This morning I’m sharing a message on stillness, and you know it’s a topic that is dear to my heart.

            This weekend I actually had extended periods of time to practice stillness in ways I’ve not been able to do for weeks. Months, maybe.

            Ryan had two days off work, and though we went on some dates and ran some errands, most of our time was spent at home. We ate meals outside by the lake. We talked with our neighbors. We rested. We made bread. It was so delightful.

            But my favorite part was yesterday when I had a little bit of time to lay in the hammock before my family came over for lunch. The lake was quiet, the sun was shining with clouds dancing across the sky, and I found myself praying quietly. Asking God specific questions about what He has for me.

            And I heard His quiet whisper.

            It wasn’t even so much about the answer as it was about the hearing. It took me back to fourteen summers ago when my heart was so broken and yet I was so close to the Lord and heard His whisper often. I miss hearing as much as I did then.

            But then again, I miss being as still as I was. To hear, I must be still. And I don’t think I’ve been quite still enough to hear.

            It was meaningful to hear at all. It was meaningful to hear on the eve of speaking on this topic. It was meaningful to hear words that settled over me in profound ways.

            If you haven’t been still for a while, I hope you’ll do it today. You don’t need a hammock (though it doesn’t hurt!). You just need some time and the determination to hear.