Kristen Henderlong

I sit at the table and listen to the strange sounds that come from the refrigerator.  The dog is snoring.  I look out the window; no color. I see shades of brown and grey in every direction.  One moment there’s stillness and structure.  The next minute the wind gusts and flows, moving the trees.  The birds are eating and swooshing through the yard.  As the clouds roll by, the sun furtively peeks through as if it’s scandalous to appear in winter.

I fold my hands and press them against my cheek to prop up my head in contemplation.  I feel my heartbeat in my hands.  I hear myself breathe.

The world goes on as I sit in the quiet alone.  There is stillness in the midst of movement. The temptation to believe I have to do something taunts my mind… this time of year always gets to me.

And then I feel a stirring inside…a glimmer of hope… like a beckoning to what feels like a sanctuary of rest.

This is being.

Most people can sit for a little while.  But less people can sit and do nothing for more than 5 minutes.  I catch myself fidgeting so frequently.  If I sit down I have to be picking my fingernails, scrolling on my phone, planning something, watching something or my mind is racing about what I should or could be doing.  The constant need for entertainment or stimulation is relentless.  

We have forgotten how to just be in our own skin.

I have observed through the years, this tends to be more difficult for someone who carries a lot of shame or pain of some sort.  The constant need to do something or stimulate the brain is a coping tactic.  It’s a way to escape the reality and the weight of pain.

The fact is, that someone who carries shame or pain?  That someone is pretty much everyone.  That someone is you and me. It seems the winter months tend to foster the perfect atmosphere for such feelings. The lack of sunlight; the lack of warmth; the lack of color… it’s overwhelming.

Have you noticed the rising trend of ‘meditation’ and ‘breath work?’  Self-help books and influencers sharing the power of centering oneself to calm anxiety?  Hello! It’s because we need it! These practices have been spreading like wildfire, because we need peace.  Our bodies and minds are starving for rest.

These practices can help in the short-term, but true fulfillment and real peace come from Jesus. If you don’t believe me, that’s ok–Ask Him. Truth speaks for Himself.

The book of Psalms state, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10 emphasis added).

Also, Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).

How will I know Him if I can’t be still enough to recognize Him?  How will I find true peace, if I don’t receive it from the SOURCE of peace?

He is mysteriously Holy and powerfully glorious, yet so quiet and still.  He is in the waiting; in between all the distractions, chaos and noise.

We live in a realm of constant movement.  Time is always ticking.  The earth is always spinning.  Our bodies aging, our hearts beating, everything changing.

But He remains.

Can you see why it would make sense we have to be still in this chaotic world in order to hear from the one who is still… He is still—unmovable; constant; unwavering; a rock that cannot be shaken?

God lives outside of it all, yet somehow within and among it all.  Scripture tells us He is the Alpha and the Omega; the Beginning and the End (Rev. 1:8).  He is consistent and unchanging in unfailing love.  He stays the same when we change.  He always is, always has been and always will be.

He is the “I AM” (Exodus 3:14).  The essence of being. 

We need Him to know how to be.  We need to be in order to know Him.

The glimmer of light from the sun disappears, the clouds keep rolling… and then… one, two, three snowflakes… they begin to fall so elegantly, forming a blanket of beauty, reminding me that even here there’s hope and peace. I can just be.

Lord, teach us how to be still.  Quiet the noise.  Rebuke the distractions.  

Be still…

And know Him.

Remember: You are loved.