Being Still

I teach five- and six-year-olds, and what a fun stage of childhood they are in. But there is this one thing . . . the wiggles. People, some days I feel like a broken record telling these sweet little angel babies to settle down.

“Please be still.”

“I need you to sit on your bottom.”

“Let’s just walk normally.”

“Have a seat, please.”

“Can you keep your hands to yourself, please?”

“Don’t spin on the floor.”

“Don’t run in the classroom.”

“Go back to your place, please.”

I think you probably catch my drift.

It’s a difficult transition to enter the classroom at such a young age and be told to “be still.” However, as time goes on, the students typically learn to control their little bodies to the best of their ability. Never mind the occasional spins and twirls or skips and stomps. Some of those wiggles are just a part of life! I mean, let’s be honest, what woman wouldn’t still love to have a good spin in a fabulous twirly skirt?

It’s really not as difficult for us adults to sit through meetings, sermons, lectures, classes, conferences . . . You probably won’t find adults spinning in chairs or doing somersaults across the carpet at work. And no one strolls by telling us to “be still.”

So when God’s Word asks us to be still and know he is God, I kind of have a problem with that. I am an adult, you know. I don’t really think I need someone hovering and telling me to be still. What does that even mean, and why would God tell us to be still?

I’m not a little kid anymore!

 Or am I?

That’s exactly where I’ve been lately—in a season of learning to be still. It’s crazy, because I didn’t even realize I needed to be still. But ironically, as I follow my kindergarten students around every day telling them to be still, I have realized that I do need someone following me around and telling me the same thing.

As a grown woman, my wiggles look mighty different from the wiggles of children, but they are wiggles nonetheless. They look more like busyness, extracurricular mumbo jumbo, plans, schedules, books, journaling, kids, ministry, work, idolatry, temptation . . . and the list goes on. Now, let me mention something as if it makes my heavenly crown bigger or more beautiful: I am a God chaser. I love early morning dates with Jesus and my coffee. I love studying his Word. I love reading books about how to be better and do better! My relationship with Jesus has grown tremendously over the past few years as I have chased him.

You could compare my relationship with him to a brand-spanking-new dating relationship. The kind wherein a couple spends hours and hours getting to know each other in beautiful ways. Everything seems so exciting! Every day there is something new to learn or share.

And then it happens. Time goes by. You’re driving down the road with The Jungle Book playing for the 812th time and the kids are pinching each other and screaming, and you realize you and your spouse are holding hands but haven’t said a word to each other in over twenty minutes.

Though chaos abounds at its finest, you and the cutie beside you are content.

I feel like God has me right where he wants me. He’s ready for me to be content. I’ve been hearing the Spirit whisper the words “be still” over and over. The funny thing is, although I thought adults knew how to be still, I’ve found it’s hard work for me to actually be still.

There. I said it. I don’t know how to be still. I don’t even like to be still. I like to go, do, and chase! Busy and I are the best of friends. But God has been teaching me the beauty of stillness. I can’t even begin to describe how badly I need to practice stillness. To be honest, I never thought something so simple could be so difficult.

So lately, as I roll out of bed to spend time with Jesus, I don’t necessarily get out my Bible or some good read. I just go to my big comfortable chair with my favorite snuggly blanket, and I sit. I literally just sit still in his presence. The same way I find comfort and peace in those quiet moments with my husband, I’m learning to find comfort and peace in the quiet with my Creator.[Tweet “The more I sit still in his presence, the more clearly I hear his voice.”]Who would’ve thought, right?

Rachel Van Hook was born and raised in the Casey Jones capital city of Jackson, Tennessee. She’s mom to three girly girls, married to her church camp sweetie, and passionate about . . . well, according to her husband, she’s just passionate! Rachel blogs at racheljvanhook.com.