Have you ever heard the saying “stop and smell the roses?” The concept that we need to pause and take time to appreciate the beautiful things in our life.
Sadly, stillness has become a lost art.
Our society says busy means better- go, go, go because you don't want to be left behind. You must stay connected and be in constant motion to have happiness and success.
Thus, we hurry through life; the alarm clock goes off, and we hit the floor running. Our days are filled with constant motion and noise. Traffic, radio, cellphones, instant messages, music, TV, movies, audiobooks, social media and rushed conversations fill every waking moment of the day. We can't be without our cell phones, IPads, computers and even our Apple watches. We are always in action- tracking every step on our Fitbit devices.
Enslaved by the demands of our social world-- emails must be tended, text and instant messages responded, a day cannot be missed on social media, endless selfies must be posted and goodness you couldn't possibly wait to make that phone call when you are free from the bathroom!
We live in a whirlwind of endless distractions that keep our minds numb and disengaged from the art of being still.
Silence has become taboo and stillness a crime.
The tragedy is we don’t realize that God’s still small voice is drowned out by the constant stream of chaos and demands for our time and attention.
We've falsely been brainwashed into the thinking that stillness is terrible- that it is idleness or laziness and holds no benefit.
Oh, to the contrary, there is great value in stillness!
I adore this quote from Morgan Freeman- “Learning how to be still, to really be still and let life happen - that stillness becomes a radiance.”
Stillness can be a radiance when it is appreciated and understood that it is different than the inaction of doing nothing.
It is in the intentional stillness that God whispers to each of us- "Come away with me, I will give you rest. In the silence, you can hear me, and in your stillness, you will know that I am the Lord God."
Be intentional and devote time for stillness. Unplug from all the media, the noise, the distraction and take even a few moments to quiet your mind and connect with God. It is in the silence that He can be heard, it is in the stillness that you can find His peace and it is in the pause that you can have rest.
Don’t let the busyness and noise of this life rob you of God’s presence.
God is found in the garden of stillness, and His roses provide rest, reprieve and rejuvenation!
Will you pause long enough to appreciate them?
Father, thank you that you are always present to meet us right where we are- even in the busyness of an ordinary day. You can be found in the stillness and it is in your presence that we find peace.
For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” Isaiah 30:15