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Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:11
It’s been a beautiful summer! I got to completely soak in Grandma-hood and I loved every single second of it. I will miss my full days with the fabulous Lewis but ready or not it’s time to begin a new school year. We had a retreat on Tuesday we learned that the word “Behold” is always spoken before something new and amazing is about to happen in the Mass and in Scripture. I’m looking at next Monday as “Behold Day”. After finishing the Covid craziness of last school year I knew I needed to find my peace and balance. As humans we aren’t so good at that. I spent hours rocking, stroller pushing and playing with Lewis and as I soaked it all in, the peace and joy he brought my days helped me make some discoveries. * Time doesn’t slow down; you have to do the slowing. There will always be stuff going on but stillness is where God can find you and bring peace. * Things did get done without me. I’ve never been very good at saying no but this summer I discovered that when you do, someone else says yes. * Life comes in stages just like books come in chapters. You’ll never get to the great ending if you don’t keep turning the pages and following along. * My screen porch is not just architecture and a lawn chair storage area…it’s for sitting, praying, rocking grandsons, visiting with friends and neighbor kids, writing and reading even in the middle of the day when there are chores to be done. * The more you make time for quiet stillness, the greater the peace; the greater the peace the greater the contentment and with contentment comes clearer perspective, less stress a more prayerful heart and a happier demeanor. Who knew! I feel a little like I’m in a lawn chair parked in the shallow ocean water. Life is rolling by and changing but it’s washing over me like warm waves and a gentle breeze. My prayer the first day of summer vacation was “God, help me be still, I’m lousy at it!” Not only did he do what I asked, he has blessed me greatly while doing it. Busy isn’t always a choice, but stillness is…perhaps the best choice we can make. A Seed To Plant: Look at the week ahead and choose three chunks of time where you will commit to being still and quiet and pray that the Lord meets you powerfully in those moments. Blessings on your day!
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…remain in my love. John 15:9-11
As we get to the end of another school year and the Graduation Open House celebrations hit full swing I always find myself remembering classes and students who came in and out of my life. Some memories make me laugh, some make me sigh and some make my eyes leak a little. It would be easy to get lost in these thoughts for hours but this time of year is so busy there really isn’t time to sit still and ponder for too long or I’ll be late for something! I’m sure there are more than a few readers who can relate! The other day I was reading this Gospel from John and I remembered one class in particular that was good at lots of things but remaining in one place for more than a split second was not their gift. Getting them to sit still and listen for any length of time at all was like trying to put puppies in a basket. I was convinced they were absolutely spring loaded. Several times a day I would witness the tiny window of time they would all be still and then one would get up and pretty soon another would follow and then another would wiggle off the carpet or away from the table and before I knew it nearly all of them had escaped. I laughed and remembered those little lovelies fondly for a few minutes and it made me wonder how many times God looks down at us and makes the same comparison. In this Gospel Jesus clearly teaches that the Father asks us simply to remain in his love. We don’t have to run around searching for it or trying to do heroic things to earn it. The promise is simple, remain with me and I will bring you joy. The funny thing about this short Gospel is it sums up all we want and all we have to do to get it in 3 short verse. We complicate things so terribly! Stay with me…don’t run around like crazy and be still in my presence. Simple enough you would think but getting our attention and convincing us to rest and trust in his love must be a lot like trying to put puppies in a basket. Last Friday I had a reminder of how much he wants me to remain in his love instead of in the chaos. I was praying in church and feeling a little overwhelmed about all that needed to be done so I just asked him to take over and give me the wisdom and strength to get things done with joy in my heart. When I got back to the classroom and checked my email, there was a message from a wonderful mom volunteering to do one of the big jobs on my to do list. I didn’t ask for help, she just sent a message and said; “hey, can I help with this?” The puppy in me just sat still as I said thank you Jesus! This week as I approach the thousand things required to end a school year, I’m going to carry the image of puppies in a basket with me. When the to-do list starts to feel overwhelming and I’m flying from task to task like a witch on a broom I will remember to be the one puppy who falls asleep in the basket and just rests in his love and trusts in his providence. A Seed To Plant: Purposefully set aside 10 minutes each day when things get crazy to sit still and think about God and all he’s doing in your life. Be that puppy that climbs in the basket to be still and remain in the Father’s love. Blessings on your day! |
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