Be Still

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!”

Before you read this, make a 60-second timer and sit still, and try to think of nothing. Ready? Go!
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Kyler O'Connor

SUPER hard, right?! How long did you last? This last week was my first of three weeks of finals, papers, and presentations, and no matter how hard I tried, I could not be still. I was worrying about too many things and had too many different subjects in my brain. I tried desperately to be good the one day I had planned to rest, but my brain would not shut off for the life of me! I kept thinking of chores, *ding*, assignments, *ding*, and grocery lists, *ding*, and my phone would not stop with the message and email notifications. During journal time, I struggled to focus my eyes, let alone focus on God, and it left me feeling miserable. I didn’t just feel like I was failing at everything, I knew I was failing. It sent me into a desperate fit of trying everything I could think of to claw my way back up to doing well, if at least at only one thing.

The amount I spent on Lotus and Zipfizz drinks last week was embarrassing, to say the least! Caffeine did not help me wake-up and focus. Disappointment. I couldn’t rest, and barely slept. Exhaustion. I kept praying for wisdom, and for energy, thinking that was what I lacked and why I could not focus on what I needed to. But, what I actually needed was God’s gentle, “Be still.”

I needed stillness and to pray for stillness. We do not need to always power-through everything; God did not make us that way. He made Sabbath, He made rest and a specific day for stillness. He wants us to cherish it and know how important it is. He Himself rested on the seventh day, after all!

I would like to challenge everyone to be still one minute of every day this next week, and see how it makes you feel.

Have a blessed week, and give someone a hug today!

Kyler