Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.
Despite my talkative nature, I have lately been making a greater effort to incorporate more listening into my prayer life. I have created a scene for Jesus and I. At first my imagination was running wild creating the scene (leaving little time to listen), but now that I have the go-to place in my mind and can focus on listening to what the Lord has to say to me. The place I have created: Jesus and I sitting on a front porch of a country home near a lake in the autumn. We're resting easily in white rocking chairs, while drinking hot apple cider or iced tea. Jesus is sporting a red flannel. As I said....the imagination...can go crazy if I let it. Anyways, I love this scene. It's comforting, peaceful, and safe. All things my heart desires in prayer. To enter into this place I need to ready my heart and the prayer at the beginning of this post is an excellent segway.
Today's readings were on point with this theme of stillness. In the first reading from first book of Kings, Elijah is seeking God, you know...pretty typical for those prophets. Elijah retreated to a cave and experienced strong winds, an earthquake, and fire...yet none of those were God. God spoke to Elijah in a tiny, whispering sound.
For me personally, I am often chatting away at about a million words a minute, very much in danger of missing a tiny whispering. Because of this habit of mine, I need to consciously give myself time to be quiet with the Lord as to not miss any whisperings from God.
Something that has been resting on my heart lately, is from T.S. Eliot's poem East Coker which I first heard in a podcast/homily from Fr. Mike Schmitz.
"We must be still and still moving."Finding the real stillness is a challenge for me. I am all about action; what I can do. There is a sensitive balance between resting in the stillness of God and working towards the mission God has uniquely set before each of us, avoiding stagnation or mediocrity in faith. I feel T.S. Eliot sums up this paradox beautifully. I find myself thinking about this line and asking myself am I resting in God's presence? Am I continually working to glorify God more greatly in my actions? Am I being still and still moving? For it is in the tiny whisperings and stillness that I receive the direction and perseverance to keep moving.
God desires quiet time with me. Often in the gospels, Jesus goes off by Himself to encounter His Father is the intimate silence. In following Jesus' example, it can be in these moments of silence that God is speaking the loudest. I just need to be still and know that He is God (Psalms 46:10). He is revealing Himself and His Will for me in the tiny whisperings. I can be still and still moving, in His Presence.
So here's to being still and still moving.
cheers.
AL.
