Be Still.

Be Still and Know

We spend our days in a constant rush and hurry,
moving from one thing to another.
Never giving thought to how best it might be done.
We spend our lives in clouds of haste 
and it loses all the fun.
There is no time for joy or peace.
From the rising of the sun to the beauty of its setting,
we fail to see the passing hand of time.
Lessons learned of being well
are lost in the hurry of the day.
Through it all, we seldom see,
 that we have lost the way.
So take a moment when you can, 
and let the inner you catch up.
Find the peace that passes all understanding.
Surround yourself, with Chi or He,
your comforter and guide.
For in our rush,
we may lose our path instead.





Be Still  

"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"

Psalm 46: 10

I would like you to picture a scene that we have probably seen in many films during our youth. Here is the explorer, usually a white man, and with them those who are carrying all the equipment of the explorer. The tents, food and all the camping equipment needed on such journeys. I am sure this is a familiar picture.

In most of those films and tales, it is the white man who is the hero of the tale. it is who teaches the lessons and him who makes all of the decisions.

Let us look at this scene a bit more, maybe all is not as simple as it seems. Maybe the others have something to teach them.

The journey is progressing at a pace and the explorer is pushing things along, keen to get on with things. All at once the rest of the party, without asking or seeking permission, stop and sit down all the equipment laid aside. There is much of the day still to travel and the explorer is keen to make haste.

No matter how excited he seems to get, the carriers sit still, very quietly saying nothing and not making any effort to take up their loads and progress.

The explorer after much waving of arms and much shouting and pointing turns to the only one of them who can understand what he is saying and asks why the men are refusing to obey and move onward?

The translator looks at him with a puzzled expression and quietly says, "We have been moving a fast pace all day. It is now time to stop and allow our souls to catch up."

Or as the psalmist says, "Be still and know that I am  God."

We live our lives at a hectic rate of knots as if there was never a single minute to spare. Is it at all surprising that in this modern age more and more people are suffering from mental illness and burn out?

We all have to take some time to allow our inner being to catch up. To steady our lives, take time out to gather ourselves and our thoughts before making haste yet again. 

There is also much to be gained from taking some time to allow the world of beauty around us to once again remind us of the wonder of things beyond ourselves. In all our haste and hurry we are in danger of forgetting that we have a part to play in caring for creation. 

In our rush to find life, we are in danger of losing the very things that make life worth living.