In the Stillness

He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!” The wind ceased and there was great calm. // Mark 4:39

It’s a busy Wednesday, our longest and busiest day of the week. After breakfast, we rush out the door to drop my son off at his outdoor nature preschool program, go for a quick nature walk, and then come back home for school. By 1:45 p.m. we are back in the car, running back and forth to appointments and extracurriculars—this one has ballet, that one has tae kwon do, Oh right, what’s for dinner?—before finally landing back at home around 7:30 p.m. If we’re lucky, I’ve already made dinner, and we can eat a hasty meal before reading stories, saying prayers, and getting everyone tucked in. Whew. 

I am not great at stillness. I like to be busy, to make plans, to see people and go places and do things. Rest is hard for me. It can feel uncomfortable, like a waste of time. So I multitask, pretend I can do with less sleep, fill empty time with scrolling.

What is stillness, really? Put simply, stillness is trust. If I believe God is faithful and will do what He has promised in my life, I can take my foot off the accelerator and let Him drive. I don’t need to push, rush, or be in control. I can let Him lead. 

It’s Sunday today, the new sabbath day. In the beginning God placed the sabbath at the end of the week. Through His Resurrection it is now also at the beginning of the week because He intended our lives to flow forth from rest. He wanted stillness to be our source. Rest isn’t something we earn by having a perfectly productive week—it is a gift from God. A chance to worship and delight in His presence. 

I wonder, dear sister, where you feel the waves crashing in your life right now. Are there external factors making you doubt God’s provision for you? Maybe your heart feels wind-tossed and anxious? Place yourself in His presence. Look into His eyes as He says to you, Quiet. Be still. The one who made you can calm any storm.