Learning to Be Still When You Are Always in a Hurry

On the way to the hospital. Labor pains increasing. Our second child was getting ready to make his appearance. I probably had stayed home a little too long, but how did I know that my contractions were going to go from nine to two minutes apart? I’m learning to be still.

We had about a thirty minute drive which Mr. Coppertop was determined to cut in half. It was a cold, sunny November morning and the pain was getting intense. I would stare off and grip the side of the car door as my contractions got harder. I just wanted to be still.

I knew that if I could be still, I could focus on making it through the pain. I could pause, connect, and possibly even enjoy. But instead, I was feeling panicked about making it there in time, possibly crashing, the contractions, and the bumps. Ugh! The bumps!

While I’m so relieved that I don’t have to face the urgency of childbirth every day, sometimes it still feels like life is a series of emergencies. Always rushing from one crisis to the next. Putting out one fire only to turn around and find another. Ever chasing and never resting. A blurred rush of chaos. When all I want is to be still.

 

Knowing that I’m called to be still.

 

But who has time to be still? I need to hurry up and quiet the screaming baby before she wakes the others. I need to urge the kids to get their socks and shoes on before we are late. I need to hurry up and create blog content so I can post in the morning. I need to hurry up and make dinner so we can have time to gives baths, and fold the laundry before bed. Hurry. Hurry. Hurry.

I don’t like the constant feeling of urgency. It’s like trying to grasp at the wind. Ever reaching but never attaining, and at the end of a hurried day I just feel empty and exhausted.

I’ve shared that I’m working on being more thankful in my day to day, but what I’m discovering is that it doesn’t work when I am in a hurry. Because being grateful requires me to be still, to stop moving, stop chasing, and stop grasping at a vapor long enough to meditate on my blessings.

No wonder it’s reiterated all through scripture to be still. To be thankful. To praise. God knows our propensity to rush and squander time. He also knows what would bring us the most peaceful and fulfilled life.

 

He knows what fills our soul and He calls us to it. Be still…Be still…Be still.

 

 

The chaos and volume of motherhood will not vanish away, and being still won’t always equal silence. Perhaps, in the noise it is even more important for us to make a conscience effort to be still. To stop the hurried pace. To smell the flowers or look up at the stars. To bend over and kiss their dirty little faces or laugh at their silly jokes…and be thankful.

 

 

 

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29 Comments

  1. Beautiful words! So true…. I struggle with this DAILY. I feel like I’m always late and there’s always something to do … because there is. My to-do list is always there, always growing. I’m trying to enjoy doing it. 🙂

  2. This post blessed me big time. I have been wrestling lately with being still because there is so much to be done. So much of it that seems like I am the only one who can do it. But it never resonated with me until today that maybe I am being called to be still. OUCH. I better take all of the “stuff” before the Lord again and listen to what He says. Thank you so much for sharing.

  3. Hands down my favorite post! Absolutely speaks right to my heart. Thanks so much for sharing your life with us!!

  4. This is lovely, I am like you always hurrying to check things off my list to try to avoid getting too behind (which causes more stress). I’m learning to try to put things in priority, let some things go if I don’t get to them and enjoy the moments!

  5. I am thankful I can be still. Then I am thankful the children have grown up and left the nest. Ha Sorry – not making fun of your situation – have much compassion for how busy your life is. When each child enters school your life will become more still and you can slow the hectic pace of motherhood (at least lets hope so). 🙂

    1. lol. Yes, I try to remind myself this is a season and it wont always be this hectic. I just want to get to the other side and be able to look back and delight in the fact that I was able to be still long enough to enjoy all the gifts that come with this season. <3

  6. Lovely post Jessica! Great advice to Me. Be still, and get into that habit. I am thank ful for family . It’s hard some days , but there really would be an emptiness without them , Hugs Dear, Terri.?

      1. Someone did this one night in a room of people. We all closed our eyes and were still, and she repeated these words slowly, quietly, with a long pause between each line. It was powerful and memorable.

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