Be Still

There’s something about lakes and water in Minnesota in the spring that is absolutely magical. I don’t know about you, but I can just feel a warmth and a joy in my soul as we wake up to cool mornings that turn into warm afternoons. And the water — man, what is it about the water? Being in, on, under, or really anywhere in the vicinity of water seems to be, of all our summertime longings, the pinnacle for us Minnesotans.

One of the many reasons I believe we’re so drawn to water is its stillness. Yesterday morning I found a pond near my home where I just sat and read the Word and prayed and journaled while overlooking water that was like glass. I felt at peace.

Of course, this peace and stillness are part of the longings that lie beneath the surface of many of our desires connected to water. We long for these, but they so often seem just out of reach. Today in particular, I’m thinking of all the mothers here — and especially those with young children. Don’t get me wrong; the joys of having little ones around are endless! But a sense of peace and stillness is usually not something that comes to mind when we think of this season of life.

It’s not easy to find rest for your body, or your mind, or your spirit when you feel totally drained and battle a continual sense of failure. While we don’t usually enjoy finding ourselves at the end of our rope, there is a grace that can be found in this place. It is here that we discover who or what it is we run to in our time of need. 

Perhaps you run to your own strength, trying harder and pushing yourself past the point of exhaustion. Or maybe you run to distractions, neglecting your responsibilities in subtle ways, engaging in unhealthy habits of thought and behavior. I don’t know what it is that you run to, but the important thing to say is that if it’s not God you’re running to, it won’t ultimately meet your need.

So what do we do if we find ourselves in this place? Here is my suggestion: Stop and listen.

Admittedly, this is easier said than done. But to start, you’ll likely need to get away from your kids or husband or whatever else is disturbing your peace in the moment. This could look like five minutes in the bathroom, or 4 hours on a Saturday morning, or maybe even a day or two at a prayer cabin. (And by the way, that last option is a real option. You don’t need to own property on a lake to get away for a couple days. In fact, I know of two prayer retreat centers within about an hour of the Twin Cities where you can get away and be with the Lord — and while they both have suggested donation amounts, they won’t turn anyone away for lack of money.)

Once you’ve stopped and quieted the noise around you, keep a journal and ask yourself, “what am I feeling?” “What am I being tempted to run to other than God?” This can easily turn into prayer as we ask God to break us free from any idols in our life and to meet our deepest needs. The main goal in all of this is to become aware of who or what we’re turning to — and then, with God’s help, to begin running to Him as our true refuge and fortress.

As we consistently practice this “stopping and listening,” more and more we’ll be able to do it even in the midst of chaos — as God’s peace and rest become more real than the noise around us.

And so my exhortation for us — and especially for the amazing mothers here this morning — comes from Psalm 46:10:

“Be still and know that I am God.”

This leads us to our need to confess our sins…