Still

I spent the day doing something I haven't done in - well - let's just say I don't remember the last time. I was still.

Being still doesn't sound like a hard thing to do but I never seem to find time to just be. There is always something to do, something to think about, something someone wants or needs, words I think I need to say. Life always seems to get in my way.

When I let life stand between me and being still I am the one who loses! I can't hear what God is trying to say to me. I put Him on hold and go about living, thinking that I'll get around to listening later or that I already know what God has to say.

Lucky for me God is patient. He knows I will run dry. He waits for me to just be and that's what I did today.

I floated on a raft in my mom's pool for over an hour. Not talking, not thinking, just laying there feeling the warmth of the sun, hearing the birds singing, being rocked by the gentle waves ... listening.

I was reminded that life goes on with out me - that no matter how much stuff I cram into a day the only thing that can refresh me is to be STILL and let God talk to me.

One of my favorite songs says it better than I could. I invite you to check it out - "Still" by Watermark.

Stuff

Stuff. We all have it. You know that space you really don’t want to open it may be a drawer, a closet, or in my case the basement. Isn’t it funny how fast we accumulate stuff?

Less than five years ago we rented a dumpster. It was full of stuff that was broken or of no use to us or anyone else for that matter. Over the past two weeks we have been cleaning out the basement again! I am amazed at what is down there. The furniture from the nursery – my youngest is 9, the cabinets from our kitchen, which hopefully will be hung for storage sometime before I am 100, and our old kitchen table which of course is in pieces so we could move it downstairs. Even if someone wanted it I am not sure we could find all the pieces. Clothing from when my boys were only a size 8 and believe me that hasn’t been for years! Cake baking pans which have accumulated so much dust it looks like I painted the storage bin a pale shade of grey. Just stuff.

Why do we save things? Is it for the what if’s and the some days? Maybe it’s for the memories. What ever the reason all that stuff takes up room leaving us with clutter and in some cases disarray.

Lately I have been saving/storing a lot of stuff in my heart. Stuff that I should have let go of long ago. All that junk has filled my heart and left little room for life. It lurks in there waiting for just the right instance to grab hold of me sending me to a place I would rather not visit. Leaving me preoccupied with all that stuff so I can’t hear what God has to say.

Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Be still – eliminate the clutter – make room to hear. AH HA!