Finding Stillness
Table Talk
Setting the Table
Take a moment to center down where you are for a time of reflection and prayer. Take a deep breath. Check in with yourself. Allow yourself this moment to sit away from the stresses that surround you, and simply be present.
Consider the sunrise and how the colors of the sky change around you. How does it feel to be in that moment? In what ways do you feel more connected to the world, to yourself, or to God?
"God is the friend of silence. See how nature—trees, flowers, grass—grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence. . . . We need silence to be able to touch souls."
- Mother Teresa
Psalm 46
Be still and know that I am God.
Food for Thought
“WOULD YOU PLEASE BE STILL!“
This all too common phrase for any parent with young children has almost become a mantra in our house - the phrase that carries us from one moment to the next.
I’m awakened from sleep by the sharp jab of a child’s boney elbow into the middle of my back. My daughter wants to dance while I help her get dressed. My son talks non-stop as I’m brushing his teeth. My youngest runs away at the first sight of a diaper change. “Would you all please be still!”
We might feel a bit crazed due to the amount of “stillness” that has become part of our daily lives over the last year. There aren’t many options for recreation or ways to get out of the house, and communication with folks outside our families happens mostly over social media or at a distance. And though this is slowly shifting, what I have noticed within myself this year is an increased anxiety, worry, antsy-ness - not just in me, but in my busy toddlers, too.
Despite the uninvited “stillness”, the chaos has been growing around us and I’ve found myself in that “be quiet”, “quit that”, “sit down”, “be still” mode even more than usual.
This has led me to think more about how we understand stillness. Psalm 46 has been a guiding verse for me in better understanding stillness. It first became part of my journey in a hospital prayer garden after my grandmother had a massive stroke. As I circled the garden, I noticed a rock that said Be Still and Know That I am God. In that moment - in the swirling chaos of my grief - I found myself overwhelmed by the intimate presence of a God who was with me on that garden path and who had entered my grief journey.
When you read all of Psalm 46, it sings of a God who is refuge in the midst of trouble - a God who acts in our stead and on our behalf, and a God who is deeply present with us. The psalm reminds us that the same God who was in creation, who wandered in the wilderness, who went into the exile, who held Jesus in the garden … is the God who is intimately present now in the midst of this pandemic and is swirling with us in our growing chaos.
“Be still,” the psalm invites us, “and know that I am God.”
The intentional practice of stillness is the act of quieting our minds and opening our souls to experience the abiding presence of God with us wherever we are. Giving ourselves moments of intentional stillness allows us to quiet the chaos swirling around and within us long enough to discover that God has not left us to wander through life alone.
There are, of course, times when our kids need to be still - and when they need to hear us say it - our houses are small, the days are long, the kids are loud. But though I am the one who is saying it most - “would you please, be still” - I’m also the one who most needs to hear it and to practice it. I’ve noticed that when my kids seem most at ease - when their souls seem stillest - are in the moments when I am fully present with them - embraced in a hug, chasing one another through the backyard, watching a movie.
As we continue to move through these weeks ahead, may we practice quieting our minds and opening our souls to experience deeply the presence of God wherever we are.
This week we encourage you to find some moments to practice stillness. Set aside a moment each day that is completely devoted to your mental and spiritual quiet. Sit outside and notice nature, close your eyes and listen for life happening around you, open your heart to the words or phrases that cross your mind and then let them move on to leave space for the next thought. Make time to simply be.
If you need some guidance on this practice, check out these articles - How to Find Stillness by Cheryl Richardson and The Practice of Stillness by Michael Hyatt.
If this seems overwhelming because your mind is racing with what needs to be done. You might consider re-reading our blog entries from the last two weeks, Rest, Relax, Recharge and Learning to Let Go as a way to begin.
Blessing
Loving God,
We thank you that we are not left to wander through our days alone.
Help us to quiet our minds,
to calm our souls,
to still the chaos around and within us
so that we might breathe deeply your presence
and your love in this season of life.
Amen.
A little Table Talk for your table...
Can you think of a time when you engaged in the practice of stillness? Maybe just a time you sat oceanside and watched the waves, or admired the sunrise. How did you experience yourself and life in that moment?
Talk together about the things in life - worries, responsibilities, work, etc - that keep you from practicing stillness regularly in your day or week.
Make a commitment to yourself or with another person/group about one way you will practice stillness this week.
Try taking it to the Kids Table...
As parents, we are not always able to create moments of stillness for ourselves, much less our little ones - but kids engage well and have long-term benefits from learning to slow down with mindful practices. See if you can engage your kids in a moment of practicing stillness this week.
Try one of these creative ways from Mindful to get your kids engaged in stillness.
Cosmic Yoga with Jaime is also lots of fun for kids.