Be still and listen

Be still and know that I am God…

The concept of being still and listening for God in the midst of our daily lives has been the topic that grabbed my attention this week. I was blessed the earlier part of the week to spend a few days with my girlfriends at the beach. For those of you who love the beach, close your eyes and I am sure you can hear the sounds of the waves coming in and out and the sounds of the seagulls. If you focus on listening to those sounds, I promise that you will slow your breathing and you will begin to hear even more… It is the place that I feel the closest to God.

The other blessing was stepping out of our day-to-day lives and responsibilities and just taking time to be together and to talk and laugh. As with old friends, our conversation ebbed and flowed. It moved from stories of our teenage years, to our children, to our challenges and concerns, and then back to old stories, again. A lot of shared life from our past was remembered. And, a lot of life that needed to shared even since last year’s beach trip was discussed. Even in the course of a year, life had brought many blessings and many challenges into the lives of these special women. We were still and we really listened.

I also ran across a blog entry from an old friend, JB, that touched my heart about listening to your life. It started with a quote from Frederick Buechner’s “Listening to your Life”. The excerpt was “Listen to your life. See ii for the fathomless mystery that it is. In the boredom and pain of it no less than in the excitement and gladness; touch, taste, smell, your way to the holy and hidden heart of it because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace.” I acknowledge how easy it is for me to move along the surface, categorize circumstances as positive or negative, just focus on taking the next step or getting to some point on the calendar, and miss the depth of life all around me. I know that I don’t spend enough time living life in the realization of life as a mystery unfolding that God set in motion. Or, that all in life is an expression of grace.

So, I have stopped this week and intentionally took some moments to be still and listen. When I usually walk out on my deck, my first reaction is to look at the flower pots, see the watering and cleaning that needs to be done, and then glance out to the lake and enjoy the view for a minute and on to the next thing. I see the surface. This morning I decided to say my prayers out on the deck. I first closed my eyes and just listened. The quieter I got, the more I heard the individual voices in nature’s chorus. I could hear different songbirds, the buzz of different insects, the croak of the frogs, the birds landing on the water- God’s natural creation living together. And, I felt peace. It is amazing how God weaved together all this creation to sustain this world for his supreme creation, his children. It is such a picture of his love, creativity, and his grace.

When life feels out of control or God feels distant, take a minute to be still and listen to God’s natural creation. You will experience God…

As I had the opportunity to listen to the stories of my friends this week at the beach, I had the time to engage at a deeper level. To listen for the unsaid things. To listen for ways to reflect love back to them. I am trying to continue that awareness as I have returned back to life at work, at home, at swim meets, and so on…What I am seeing is that when you are listening, it opens your perspective and provides you the possibility to engage more deeply with those whom God has placed in your life. You can better hear their struggles and provide support or encouragement. You can hear what bouys their spirit and celebrate that. You can understand better what may drive behavior and be less critical or take responses less personally. That ability allows you to engage in a healthier relationship. In the end, you can better see people as God’s creation and ways to be God’s hands and feet to them and in this world.

So, even when you are busy, take a minute to be still and listen to God’s children. You will experience God and be able to reflect his love to others…

Lastly, God does speak to us. He speaks to us through nature, his children, his Word and his Spirit. We are his children and he is our Father. It is a personal relationship and a journey. And I believe that the more you listen, the more you see Him, the more peace you have and the more confidence to live your life. When I decided to write this blog, my prayer was that it would be helpful to others and glorifying to God. I do try to listen to what the Spirit is telling me. I do that better some weeks than others. This week after reading that blog I mentioned earlier and focusing on listening, I wrote some thoughts down yesterday but did not write the blog. I felt that I was not quite ready to write. This morning I decided that I would read my devotion, pray, and be still first before beginning to write. And God definitely spoke encouragement. My devotion was actually about stillness! I then prayed on my deck in the stillness. His nature made His presence palpable to me.

Finally, when you are caught up in the visible aspects of life, take a minute to be still and listen to God. You will experience God and rest in peace by focusing on the things that are unseen…

Recently, I talked to a mother who is in the really raw stage of dealing with her child’s addiction. Her pain brought tears to my eyes as I remember that pain so well. I was there not so long ago. Your world gets fixated on your child’s disease and the fear of the implications of that disease. Your world can get really small and dark. I can’t help but wonder if I had practiced being still and listening more that I would have been able to support my son earlier from a place of peace and not of fear. I have learned to do that more now. A family member of an addict especially a parent wants to “fix it”. But, what I am learning is that I cannot “fix it” but I can support it and be God’s hands if my eyes are focused on God rather than the disease. So, I will continue to be intentional about remembering his words to “Be still and know that I am God.” He is God. He created our loved ones. He loves them and walks their path right by their side. And focusing on that unseen but real love of God can bring peace.

I can’t finish without being thankful that many of us have had the great blessing to learn about the character of God the Father through our earthly father’s love.

So today, I run yearning to listen more and experience God the Father and in gratitude for my sweet father who has taught me much about love!