Be Still

I will be traveling today to North Louisiana … ahhh, HOME country.  I will be traveling because I have the pleasure of speaking to some precious sisters at The Pentecostals of the Twin Cities in West Monroe, LA on Saturday.  The “home” I am speaking of is not my physical home. No, I am NOT referring to my physical address but to the area I was “born and raised”, as we say in the deep south. This area is filled will family and friends who have been there with me every step of the way, since MY beginning.  I will have a 4-hour drive and have learned to appreciate this time I am given to think, sing, and “be”.  Typically, I think and process any- and every-thing that comes into my mind. This can include current events, Scripture, goals, spiritual matters, social situations, any issues I or anyone else am dealing with … yep, anything. When my brain gets tired, I turn the music up WAY too loud (much louder than I’m supposed to) and just let it rip!  (For the record, I am CONVINCED that I sound just like Adele while I am singing.  That is, when I am NOT sounding just like Bonnie Raitt.  A word of caution if you ride with me, though, please, please do NOT turn the music down while I am singing because we both may be in for quite a surprise if you do!)

I have only recently begun to enjoy time to myself thinking and listening to music … and I mean VERY recently. Initially, my grief so consumed me that I had a difficult time moving beyond the debilitating shock and the ultimate sadness.  Grief’s effect on me varies from day-to-day and moment-to-moment. I had a bout with the flu recently. Just when I was coming out of it, “Grief” struck again (for about a week and a half).  I finally determined that I had to do something.  I took inventory of how I felt physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually.

Physically, I was tired and wanted to sleep all the time – which is common in situations like ours.  My body ached and picking something up off the floor was a “chore”.  I had frequent headaches.

Mentally, finishing tasks was difficult.  My attention span wavered. I couldn’t remember squat! I just missed Savannah.  I was agitated.

Socially, I really didn’t want to be around others beside my immediate family.

Spiritually, I was “going through the motions”. I wasn’t connecting with Him.

Now, all of these things could be explained away as part of the grieving process, the aging process, the effects of an inactive lifestyle, and/or the results of a poor diet. Let me be “real” with you, I really didn’t care about the explanation, I wanted a resolution of this sudden intense fog and despair.

God has been showing me that He says, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) and “Remember the Sabbath” (Exodus 20:8). I have learned that we can have the knowledge of spiritual things; however, fully implementing them and incorporating these practices is another step to be made. I knew that I was not intentionally spending time “being still”.   After God and I talked, I became aware that I was not spending any time on myself, either. (I’ve never been a big believer in the concept of “me” time.  I have always been a do-er.  My nature is to be a “people-pleaser”, so I honestly am not in the habit of paying attention to myself.)

I needed to become intentional and do something drastic.  Therefore, I joined a local gym that a precious soul told me about that is right near my house. She inspired me to “get fit”.  We also are eating far more vegetables and much healthier than we had been since our dear friends at Luckett Farms began delivering fresh, whole vegetables to our home every Wednesday. (It seems like Christmas morning every Wednesday with each box of goodies!)

So far, I can tell an improvement in my physical, mental, and social status in just one week of attending exercise classes and eating whole, healthy foods.  I am not wanting to stay in bed, nor am I groggy or in a fog.  I haven’t had a headache all week. Socially, it is good to be with others with a common goal.

I also needed to become intentional with my “be still” time.  I need to plan this out, at least at first, because it wasn’t just going to happen on its own!  I signed up for a 30-day yoga challenge with www.doyogawithme.com.  I knew the stretching, quiet, stillness, presence, and meditation would be good for me.  Spiritually, this has helped me come out of the fog.  I often read scripture before I start the online class and meditate on it while participating. I do this outside with the birds chirping and the wind blowing … near nature and God.  I consider this a time of “rest” for me and “reflection” on God.

When we don’t rest, we remain in “survival mode” (the opposite of “thriving mode”).  We can’t think straight as we are “putting out fires” constantly.  We get lost. We forget what we were doing and why we were doing it. We become overwhelmed until our minds or bodies fizzle out and we get sick or have an accident.  Wayne Muller says in his book, Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives, “Because we do not rest, we lose our way”.

Mark 2:27 notes that “the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath”.  God created Sabbath (rest) for us. He commands us to “remember” to rest.  Science backs this up.  There are physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of rest.   Rest allows us to refocus on what is important to us, on what our purpose is, and on WHO it’s all about!

Genesis 1:31 reveals that God checked out His creation and saw that it was good…VERY GOOD, indeed! This is what we need to do often … take inventory of what is good, VERY GOOD in our lives.  Rest will give you that opportunity.  Remembering the Sabbath will give you the time needed.

By no means am I telling you that you must join a gym and become a yogi to learn to “be still” and “remember the Sabbath”.  I am telling you what one grieving mother who loves the LORD is doing. We are all created unique.  Evaluate what gives you rest. Is it fishing? What about gardening? Driving? Painting? Coloring? Tinkering? Will “Grief” show up again to taunt me? Absolutely.  However, next time I will be “rested” and I will be intent on turning my “sadness” into a “remembrance” of all things Savannah.

I do want to encourage you to become intentional about following this commandment.  God knows what He’s doing and just what we need.  Ask Him. Listen to Him. Then, DO IT!

I’d like to leave you with this to meditate on from the second and third verses of the 23^rd Psalm:

He lets me rest in green meadows;

He leads me beside peaceful streams.

He renews my strength.

Oh, Yes, HE does … IF we allow Him to!

Be blessed, go rest, and … THRIVE!!!

Stephanie