Stillness

Like many, I have an endless to do list, and every day seems to be filled with duties that should had been done yesterday.  Every day its go-go-go until your body drops in bed. Pace of life seems to be growing faster and faster, more and more things need to be done in a shorter time frame.  On the way to work, cars are constantly changing lanes, weaving through the rush hour traffic; breakfast is eaten behind the wheel, that is, if you had remembered to grab it on your way out.  At the office, there's no room left to park your car, so you'd park yours on the lawn hoping and praying that the lawn mower doesn't flick rocks at your car.  In the office, you turn on your computer and Outlook downloads 10 megabytes of emails that were sent to you over night while you were sleeping. From there, answering all the work queries from the multiple "bosses" you have located in different countries around the world, you find yourself entangled with the office affairs that's always so interesting which makes you wonder if it should be an episode of some drama show like 'Home and Away'.  With ears tuning in the surrounding noises, eyes fixed on the screen in front of you and your mind continually rearranging your to-do list, you blink and suddenly… it's dark outside your window. On the way home, if you don't have something else scheduled, in your exhaustion you reflect on the day feeling relieved it's over but only to remember you have to do it all over again tomorrow.  This is a typical weekday for me.

But today was different.

In the middle of the day, I wanted to escape from the hustle and bustle, so I walked to my car that was parked under the maple tree and opened my Bible.  While all around me, people were rushing to and fro, the soft green leaves were quietly embracing the gentle breeze and the birds were singing peacefully, oblivious to the "life-threatening" deadlines that needed to be met.  Observing creation, I read, I reflected, I prayed and realized how little I spend time in the day to be still and know who is God.  In all the busyness, it's so easy to forget God, or even make other things our god. Today, this verse became real to me, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) and that I did.  I walked back in feeling refreshed and renewed.  Thank God for these little moments of retreat in Him, to be still and listen to His small voice and be reminded that all the surrounding 'chaos' are under His sovereign control, that strength can be found in Him, and just to refocus and be reminded that through it all, we are in His grace and His presence, always. 

Maybe tomorrow I will see Him there again. J