"Sit still!"

"Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs."
~ Jonah 2:8
​

I recently spent time with a lady who is nearing her century mark.  "You know why people stay so busy these days?" she asked me.  "They are scared to death to sit still."

I had never really thought of "sitting still," as something that would invite fear into my life.  I will admit, I pack most every day as full as I can.  I think that this is the result of having spent a year in bed recovering from an illness, and thinking of all the things that I wanted to do with my life.  Not necessarily a "bucket list," that so many people talk about.  From what I have seen, "bucket lists," are created, and then become a source of disappointment for some when the illness the person is running from overcomes the person.  The list then becomes a source of "what I never got to do."

I don't know, maybe she has a point.  When productivity becomes our way of life, we then become vulnerable to many things.  Some of those things are brought on by others who criticize when we don't produce what we have managed to do at some outlandish pace in the past.  And then there is the inner criticism we encounter when anxiety dances with depression because somehow we simply are no longer living up to our own expectations.

I am reminded that God could have created the entire universe in a single moment, but yet, it was ordered into place each day, and then God allowed for a day of rest.  A simple reminder that even God allowed for time to reflect and rest.  

Giving ourselves time to "sit," is not about "slacking off," and should not feel that we are.  If anything, it serves as a reminder to others to appreciate the opportunity to breathe. 

In today's environment, we have learned that loyalties among the corporate world are only as good as the next quarter's report.  I'm grateful that God doesn't relate to us in that way.  The world was created with us in mind.  Green meadows, tall trees, and streams that meander through rocky hillsides are all simple reminders that somewhere there is a bank, or a beach beside the ocean, that was created for our presence, to sit, rest, and to recognize the goodness that surrounds us.  Sitting still is not something to fear, it is an invitation to rest and see what God has created for you!

Stay in God's grip!

G. Todd Williams (c) 2019