Learning To Be Still

Are any of you ever guilty of living your day-to-day life in a constant rush? I know I sure am. I'm the type of person who is always on the go, terrified I'm going to miss out on something if I even blink. But why do I do that? Why am I always in a rush? Why do I worry that I'm not going to have enough time in the day to get everything done? No matter how many things I "check off" my to-do list, I always seem to find about 3495874 more things to add to it.

Sometimes I feel like this...

I feel your pain, Julie Andrews, I feel your pain.

Oh, and have you ever noticed that everything seems to go wrong when you have to be somewhere at a certain time? Your alarm clock doesn't go off, you can't find anything to wear, you're having a terrible hair day, there's no food to eat in the kitchen, your car won't start, your gas gauge is on the dreaded "E." Yep, without fail, things are gonna go wrong when you have a deadline to meet. Happens all too often, boo. These things totally do not help us to not be in a rush, do they? That'd be a big 'ole negative, nada, nope.

I had a very eye-opening week about learning to calm my crazy.super.on.the.go.always.rushing self down. I received a gentle reminder to literally slow down (I won't go into details... but it may or may not involve a future trip driving school, cough cough. Good job, Claire.) But anyway, it got me thinking about how I've been living my life lately and why I always feel the need to rush rush rush through this life. So much so, that things begin to look like a blur, and I can't tell what's what anymore or if I'm comin' or goin'. 

Each morning I read the devotional book Chad got me for Christmas, which is entitled "Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence" by Sarah Young. (If you are looking for an awesome devotional to get your day started, I highly recommend this one. It's powerful and so relevant to our daily lives. Plus it doesn't take long to read at all!) 

This past Monday, this is what my devotional read:

"Sit quietly in My Presence while I bless you. Make your mind like a still pool of water, ready to receive whatever thoughts I drop into it. Rest in My sufficiency, as you consider the challenges this day presents. Do not wear yourself out by worrying about whether you can cope with pressures. Keep looking to Me and communicating with Me as we walk through this day together. 

Take time to rest by the wayside, for I am not in a hurry. A leisurely pace accomplishes more than hurried striving. When you rush, you forget who you are and Whose you are. Remember that you are royalty in My Kingdom."

Wow, okay Lord, if I happened to not be listening good Monday morning (which apparently I wasn't), I am definitely listening now. Funny how the Lord uses things that may completely 100% stink to us (perhaps a speeding ticket for instance; just a random example off the top of my head, hehe) to grab our attention and open our eyes to the amazing things He has in store for us. Though of course I am not happy about how the situation played out (Bad, bad, Claire, I know. You don't have to tell me.), I am grateful that I was able to receive the blessing of learning to be still in God's presence in the process. 

If we continually go through our days and our lives in a constant rush, we may be completely missing out on blessings the Lord wants to place in our lives, simply because we don't make the time to even acknowledge our Maker throughout the day. This is something the Lord has really been stirring lately in my own life. Just as my Monday morning devotional said, when we rush, we forget who we are and more importantly, Whose we are. We too often forget that we are children of the the one true King, the Maker of Heaven and earth, the Beginning and the End, the One who knows every hair on our head and every thought we have... He loves us so much that He sacrificed His Son so that we may have eternal life with Him if we choose to accept it. My goodness, that gives me chills just thinking about it.

Especially with the fall semester about to start full force (with papers, tests, meetings, deadlines, studying, etc.), I think it is important now more than ever to remember that we should not consume our lives by constantly trying to rush through each day. Though to-do lists are great (I totally love them because it helps keep me organized), we must remember not to freak out if we don't get everything done before the day ends. I've started to realize that the less I rush, the more I have time to do all things I need to do. When I stop wasting time worrying if I'm going to get stuff done, I actually get stuff done. How cool, huh?? :) hehe.

I think it is most important to prioritize the main things we need to get done. For me, my main thing now is striving to always start my day in the Word. My brain doesn't fully function correctly early in morning, so it's always been a struggle to do a morning devotional, simply because my eyes are so sleepy and won't focus. But you know what? I'm changing that attitude. Right now. The Lord deserves my very best, and I want Him to be the very first thing I devote my attention, mind, and heart to each day. 

Doing a morning devotional has actually helped me to wake up easier and focus my mind more clearly. Win-win situation, yessir! :) So I encourage you to try it as well. It may turn some of you night owls into early birds who are ready to dive into the powerful Word of God first thing in the a.m. What an awesome way to start the day! :) When we place our faith and trust in the Lord, we are able to find rest in His presence, and we do not have to worry about rushing through anything

I want to leave you with a song I love! It's called "This is the Stuff" by Francesca Battistelli. The video is only about three minutes long, so I encourage you to listen to the words. :) When we have all this "stuff" that drives us crazy and causes us to rush through life, remember that the Lord can turn our "stuff" into the greatest blessings in our lives. :) 

P.S. Notice the purse Francesca uses in the video... I totally have that purse and am actually using it right now. I feel so fashionable, hehe. :)

P.P.S. The second verse applies quite well to my life this week, hehe. 

Remember to be still, my friends, and remember He is God and He is good. 

Love & Blessings,
Claire

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